Stars Burning Holes Right Through The Dark
by MaliciaStarling
Summary: Loki & Thor get sent back to Earth but they don't join up with the team immediately. Meanwhile Darcy Lewis, formerly trained by SHIELD, is readjusting to life as Tony Stark's PA. Private jets, living in the Avengers Tower, paparazzi & generally being indispensable to Tony (& Pepper too). OF COURSE something will go wrong... *Sequel to The Last Recommendation of Agent Coulson
1. Prologue

None of these characters are mine, they belong variously to Stan Lee, Marvel Comics and the Marvel Cinematic Universe. Also the title is from the song "Sleepyhead" by Passion Pit.

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In the Great Hall of Asgard

It seemed eons ago that Thor and his brother had stood in the small antechamber that led into the Great Hall. Back when Loki's plots, the attack on Jotunheim and subsequently Thor's downfall had seemed so natural and inevitable, the perfect thing to entrap Thor. The schemes within plans hidden and layered in subtlety seeming a tiny thing against the greater machinations of Thanos that Loki had found himself a mere cog ensnared within.

"Father far be it from me to doubt your wisdom, but surely you must see the battle is won not the war!" Thor was agitated and Mjolnir was still crackling with energy. Thor was well aware that his battlelust could cloud his reasoning and thoughts of being too eager for battle weighed on him. Still he had to say something about being recalled from the battlefront and especially considering the great cost in terms of energy to summon and transport only himself and Loki.

"My sons, you have done well with this campaign, and though the darkness is not yet fully defeated your armies are ably led by the Lady Sif and the Warriors Three, they will have to continue without you." Odin was being cryptic in his tone which was strange for the All-Father. The echoes of his voice seemed to not to ring so much in the Great Hall so much as foretell of some secret purpose.

"If your plan was to lose the war you are fulfilling that perfectly because you cannot win it without my assistance!" Loki was angry his green eyes blazing and his pale features distressed. His silver-tongue seemed to be gone, and for once since Loki had fallen into the void Thor did not suspect him of any hidden agenda for allying himself with Thor. Odin stood when Heimdall entered glanced at them and transported them all to the edge of the Bifrost. Frigga stood there already with the Tesseract. The rebuilding of the Bifrost was going slowly and the mere act of transporting the group had cost Odin visibly.

"Loki Odinson," As Loki tried to interject Odin's voice bellowed. "It is our decree that your assistance is needed elsewhere and for matters of security no one else can know of this. You have attempted reparations and we are most satisfied with your service to the realm. Still there are other realms that require your reparations and they call now."

Loki's features stilled and he drew in upon himself visibly steeling himself for the judgement that would surely come, he was being sent back to Jotunheim their would be no more chances at redemption or reparations in Asgard. But something was off, what need had they for secrecy? Why was no attendant in sight? Thor was quietly watching the faces of his parents his mother's loveliness now had a beatific serenity that stirred him more than his fathers' bellowing voice. He felt rather than reasoned that she was the source of these strange events.

"May I go with Loki and lend any assistance he might need?" Thor knew, if he was right, Frigga's part in arranging the endeavor meant he should trust it implicitly.

"This is none your affair Thor!" but Loki only threw him a venomous glance before pacing the Bifrost. _Besides Loki has been most unlike himself,_ thought Thor, _easily rattled by these events he cannot go into this alone_.

"If it takes place on Midgard then it is, I am its guardian and would do anything to help you brother-" Thor was interrupted by Heimdall's movement who had stood silently as he leaned forward his normal quiet vigilance disturbed.

Frigga spoke, "Thor, Loki the time is now upon us not a moment can be spared, All Father please send them now."

"Thor and Loki Odinson we bind your powers and strip you of your Aesir form. You will be confined to the Midgardian mortal forms. Thor your powers are only to be used in the guarding of Midgard, until then you are bound. Loki you will be released at the moment that a Midgardian weeps for you restoring to your Aesir and Jotun forms. Until that day arrives you will remember nothing of your life, your deeds or your treacherous hate." Thor could discern that the spell was being spoken hastily.

Loki screamed, curses streaming from his lips as lightning ripped his helmet, armor and vestments from his body, he seemed to shrink his naked form flickering from the pale Aesir to Jotun blue back to pale and he was rendered unconscious. His features seemed to change before Thor's very eyes, growing softer his hair curling and growing reddish.

A necklace with a single silver scepter floated over Loki's prone form.

"Thor, I appoint you guardian over your brother, let him thrive let him live, and above all be the honorable man you have become. The mortal guises you inhabit will tell you all you need know. This alone will bind Loki's powers only you can bestow them on your brother when he is worthy. The moment of his remembering will not return his powers to him." The chain was dropped into Thor's hand, and his own powers were stripped away.

Heimdall and Odin summoned the energy of the cube and began to open a portal.

Frigga placed a kiss on Loki's forehead and rose to put a hand on Thor's shoulder, "I would have him remember kindness. Thor my strong son show him patience and mercy and see that he finds what he seeks."

Frigga's lips to his pate her hands on either side of his head told Thor there was nothing to fear he felt her gentle good grace in the kiss. He carried his brother in his fragile form and stepped into beam of light that was the portal.

**Earth **

**Second week of June in the year 2012**

As the light of the Tesseract faded from his eyes he could feel the pain in his body become overwhelmed by the life of another edging out all he thought he knew of himself. Thor was becoming a distant memory. The wreckage he found himself in contained another body, but he could not now remember the name. He checked that the other form was living and gave in to sleep.

"Sir? Donald Blake? Can you understand what I'm saying?" There was great pain in his body, his legs particularly felt shattered, and above all his body was not his own. "Yes I understand. My brother?"

"We have no record of Loren being your brother are you sure?"

Don was still gripping the chain with the delicate symbols of their power. "Adopted brother."

When he awoke in the hospital Don felt a strange block to his thoughts, most of his memories seemed jumbled and hidden. He heard a voice in the bed next to his.

"Its about time you woke up, I was going to call Jane to come kiss her prince from his enchanted slumber." Don wondered why he laughed so hard, but Loren just watched him lazily. "My, you are easily amused."

"What do you remember?" Don finally asked as his laughter subsided and he dug through the drawers beside his bed. Something he was forgetting brushed his mind and as he gripped his chain the memories clarified and crystallized.

"Nothing beyond the basics, everything about you and our childhood but I don't remember the accident at all." He stood from his bed and paced the room trying to still his agitation. Don watched him and for once in a very long time he felt his brother wasn't simmering with anger. He was just lost now.

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A/N: So what do you think?


	2. In The Good Old Summertime

**Avengers Tower**

The first week of summer 2012

(last week of June)

"Tony, why aren't you ready?" The Super Secret Hero Basement Lab was filled with simulations and rock music which she was silencing with quick subvocal commands to JARVIS. She refused to shout at Tony so she had to silence everything else.

"Yeah I'm too busy, can't go. JARVIS lock out Ms. Lewis."

"Belay that order JARVIS override code Hotel Echo Lima Papa"

"That can't be a real order."

"Take it up with Pepper."she shrugged, and waited patiently as Tony tried interacting with JARVIS.

"Damnit Darcy you broke JARVIS."

"I am not broken."

"So lock her out."

"I'm afraid not sir."

"I am going to reprogram you until you sound like SIRI!"

"Yeah, yeah threats later, change now hop into the limo and lets move it!"Darcy marched into the elevator knowing he had no choice but to follow once she shut down the lab. Happy emerged from the elevator and Tony was dragged out to change. Darcy did a quick check of the lab and made notes checked her email they were off. On the steps of City Hall Tony and Captain America were presented with the keys to the city. SHIELD was keeping a close eye on the situation and Darcy felt a bit odd because she wasn't listening in to their check-ins but she focused on the ceremony. An hour later she was dodging elbows and squeezing through bodies to try keeping pace with Tony as he made his way through the reporters and his admirers.

A scuffle broke out and Captain America broke it up and kept the fanatic that had started it until the police arrived. Tony kept giving sound bites and then they were back in the limo. Captain America was waving one last time and Tony was pouring himself a drink.

"Want a drink Lewis?"

"No thanks."

"Oh come on lets celebrate they just gave us the keys to the city!"Tony tossed both drinks back and Darcy got to work on the tweets and soundbites making their way across the internet. Along with reports from Captain America's little scuffle she was working and needed more caffeine not alcohol.

"It'll be a bit until we can get reaction from the news outlets but so far people were pleased."

"Lewis there are three things I hate-" Tony started.

"Being handed things" cut in Darcy.

"Being told what to do." Threw in Happy.

"And I also hate drinking alone." he didn't really but he was getting really drunk, so Tony tried waving another tumblerful of whiskey at Steve and Darcy.

"Is there a point to this Tony?" Steve asked as he pulled the cowl off.

"Yeah that I hate doing these things I mean it was great when I made that Senator honor me but New York is still messed up kinda seems premature." He fidgeted at the confession and drank some more, "Lewis and Happy know it so why do I still have to do them?"

"Bruce can't and Pepper said you have to." answered Darcy quickly, it was unspoken that Steve was trying to live a normal life for as long as possible the name of the game being denial, obfuscation and keeping his vigilantism work strictly aligned with Captain America. Steve Rogers was just another guy and it needed to stay that way.

For the next few blocks Darcy enjoyed the relative quiet of the limo as Steve pulled out his own cellphone, apparently the promise of more action breaking up public disturbances or taking down any and all criminal activity in the most of New York had persuaded him to learn the "new-fangled" technology. Not to mention that Sam Wilson wasn't the only person he talked to on it. At least if Clint was to be believed.

"You know what? This is ridiculous we're going to LA."

"Sure tonight or tomorrow?"

"You've never been on my private jet. Oh hey Jarvis get the jet ready we're going now." Darcy just blinked and double-checked all Tony's present engagements. Tony turned to Steve, "What about you Steve?"

"Ms. Potts has just arrived from Washington should I tell her you are going to LA." announced JARVIS.

Tony responded by cancelling the jet and lunch passed in a blur of communications down in the lab's kitchenette. Darcy invited Steve to lunch with the lab folks but he had stuff and things to do.

Looking through their commitments Darcy made a note of several things. One, always keep a suitcase packed with essentials in the limo or the jet (possibly both). She was pretty sure one of these days she was going to need it. Two, Bruce wasn't in the lab and he wasn't in the Tower. She didn't want to turn on the tracker so she assumed she'd need to force him to introduce Betty to the team. Three, the scientists were either taking their independent projects very seriously and ignoring their work or just plain ignoring their work. Maybe Darcy would need to find a way to get them to take some vacation time. Especially since Bruce and Tony were out. Fourth and most important: What was Darcy going to do about Jane? They still shared Jane's apartment even though most of Darcy's things were in her own apartment. It was almost like three thousand square foot apartments were slightly too much for a single person to live in by oneself after years of cramped dorm rooms and tiny trailers.

Which would explain why most of the time the team would start hanging out in the massive common kitchen or the common room where the Hulk had beaten Loki. The Tower was vast and they were all getting comfortable with each other.

The next day after brunch Darcy was digging through her messenger bag for her extra ammo. Finding it she reloaded and pushed her way past Steve's protective form as he tried to force her away from the scene and laid down cover fire for him to run towards the giant robots. He'd already pulled off his regular clothes in a thicket by the bridge that spanned the brickway in Central Park. He grumbled but pulled on his cowl as she kept up the cover fire. "Get the hell out of here agents will be here in less than five minutes!" he yelled at her as her second bullet connected with the massive robot. It made a loud ping but otherwise did nothing.

"Just tell them to bring enough ammo, I'm almost out!" she yelled back. Some civilians were cowering beside an overturned carriage their horse half squashed by the stainless steel robot. Captain sprinted towards them as Darcy clicked in her last magazine and tried shooting the robot in the eye. Score! At least the thing was partially blind now. She blinded two of the other robots and looked down to where Captain America was leading the civilians to the relative safety of a black SUV. Iron Man now suited up was blasting the robots as the Hulk took one of huge robots down. The Scarlet Witch was focusing on disrupting Doom's concentration while Quicksilver checked all the corners of the Park looking for more civilians. Clint and Natasha had arrived with SHIELD. Just as Darcy was considering heading for one of the black SUV's herself she was picked up by one of the robots and tossed into the sky. She twisted around trying to find purchase on something, anything just as Iron Man caught her.

Tony flipped up his mask and dropped her on the nearest SUV, "Go home Lewis!" he ordered and for once Darcy didn't argue with him. Besides she was out of ammo.

In the SUV she noticed there were some injured so she went with them to the nearest hospital. The agent that was driving the SUV was referred to only as Agent 13, Darcy remembered seeing her before but didn't really think she should bring it up in front of the civilians. Darcy busied herself with the civilians, trying to get the little boy who was crying to focus on the fact that Captain America had just saved him. "Hey do you remember that big guy in the ol'red white and blue?"

Sniff, "yeah," his mother had long ago fainted and been deemed "safe" that is, not a potential security risk. It might have been because they were Haitians and spoke little English.

"That was Captain America! He's best friends with Iron Man, you like Iron Man don't you?"

"I like the Hulk." Darcy grinned and he smiled back tight curly black hair framing his dark cherubic features.

"He's pretty awesome too, he's the strongest one. But anyways they're all friends and they're going to kick those huge robots outta New York!"

As the child calmed down his little afro tickled Darcy's nose as he leaned back against her in the hospital his mom in the next bed the doctors attending to her she could feel the texts buzzing her phone but she ignored them.

Most of them were from Jane, who as she watched the news, texted Darcy, "Are you ok?" and "Why aren't you home?" and "IF you're aren't dead and just ignoring your texts I'm going to kill you!" and "Omg I'm turning into my mother..."

Darcy burst out laughing and the medics rushing past her in the corridor gave her dirty looks. She texted back quickly, "I'm fine just waiting for a ride back home."

"Why can't you walk?" that was a good point. The hospital they'd taken her to was halfway between Central Park and Midtown where the Tower was.

"I'm fine I'm busy with stuff." besides the stitches she still needed.

After the little boy was done crying, Darcy had cleaned off the snot and the last of the stitches were sown up on her scalp she left the hospital and walked home. She listened to the sounds of the city from one ear and talked to JARVIS getting updates from the team and texting Jane. A block away from the Tower Darcy spied Steve walking into the cafe below the Tower. He was clean again, not a hair out of place and he stood waiting for the hostess to seat him.

A young blonde with a pretty pink bow of a mouth threw herself into his arms and kissed him. Steve blushed and Darcy's own heart skipped a beat. She'd known Steve had a girlfriend but seeing the kiss, seeing them together had startled her, so she kept walking. Well there's always California.

The next morning Darcy made sure to pack her bags, shoving in the nicest of everything she had and feeling that it was probably going to go to waste if she was just going to be stuck at the mansion the whole time. A Malibu mansion Darce, she reminded herself. Maybe I'll even get to go the beach.

Speaking with the lab assistants and subtly suggesting that vacations could be had with minimal disruptions Darcy managed to rid herself of a third of the scientists. Jane was going to be tough though.

The private jet should NOT be impressive. Before she knew it Darcy was drinking champagne and reclining at 5,000 feet. Impressive for the fact that she totally didn't get to enjoy it as she was suddenly busy with Pepper stuff. Suddenly Tony was nothing but a distant thought and Pepper pulling her into her world of finance and an empire the likes of which was barely comprehensible to most. Luckily Darcy's experience included actual governments and aliens from other realms.

Still pretty impressive when she considered that as CEO Pepper was Prime Minister to Tony's, symbolic but still reigning, king. Their small army of attendants had been whittled down to just Darcy as it was now the weekend.

"Thank you Madam Secretary,"

"Oh please call me Hillary, that is if I can call you Pepper." That's the Secretary of State on screen with my bosses, I think I might die of suppressed squees! thought Darcy.

"Oh of course, Hillary." Pepper grinned.

"Told you she wouldn't mind Pep." Chimed in Tony and totally photobombing behind Pepper, he was more than a few drinks in. "Tell the next country you meet with Iron Man is just a few hours away, then they'll listen!"

Secretary of State, Hillary Rodham Clinton put her shades on and cut the connection the hint of a smile the last thing Darcy saw as she closed her eyes trying to sear the image into her eyeballs.

"Hey Darce, you ok there?"

"I just saw my personal hero. I'm great." said Darcy just a bit breathlessly.

The rest of the flight to a private airstrip was uneventful and downright relaxing. This was a whole new game and Darcy was pretty sure even SHIELD didn't have training for this sort of life.

* * *

A/N:

I had this whole political meeting scene planned but this fic is getting long so I just included the closing with our former Secretary of State.

Also if you're new to the series Darcy trained with SHIELD but was offered a job as Tony and Pepper's PA and took it.


	3. So Machiavell-me, make a (Stark) Rose

Summary: The Mansion, LA, Stark Industries are now all part of Darcy's reality. Also Darcy has her own rooms at Tony's mansion. Secret check-ins with Agent Sitwell are also supposed to happen somewhere in her busy schedule.

And We start seeing more of what being personal assistant to Tony AND Pepper entails.

Also doctors. yay.

Notes:Possible trigger warnings for burn scars and related body issues.

Chapter title is a lyric adapted from the song "Rainbow HIgh" in Evita, the Andrew Lloyd Webber.

Please tell me what you think!

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**Tony Stark's Malibu Mansion**

The Mansion did not disappoint. It was all sweeping vistas of the ocean and the bay below. Being cliffside had a different feel than being in a sky scraper. Like she had the irrational thought she might fall into the sea below like Ophelia the waves consuming her. For some odd reason she'd thought living oceanside would remind her of Kate Chopin's The Awakening. It didn't but the views were spectacular and very relaxing.

But her appreciation for waking up to an incredible views was somewhat diminished by Tony's insistent voice calling for her down the next morning. Every day before she was ready to wake up he'd wake her up. The layout of the house wasn't that confusing but it seemed to take forever when wandering three different staircases and endless corridors. They had given her three rooms for her office, room and a random third one. "What's the third one for?"

"Oh yeah you're designing the third floor of the house for when the team wants to come visit. It's your new studio."

"I'm not an architect. Not doing it."

"Security reasons and John Lautner is dead." Darcy was pretty sure John Lautner's ghost might try to murder her.

Tony glanced up at her and the omelette she'd left next to her on the workbench. He sat down with her and started eating shoveling the food in messily.

"Fine you don't have to design it but you do have to hire someone else. My suggestion would be to interview a few, get a few concept sketches, pay them all handsomely for their sketches and then use the best ones for the actual design."

Darcy was pretty sure she was about to have her first heart attack. How best to say no while still keeping her job? She didn't have a chance to because he was moving on.

"What do you have to wear to work?"

"This is work, already dressed." she pointed out. But she was wearing a sheer black hoodie over a purple tank from her college days, and skinny jeans that were probably three years old and fit funny. "Come on Tony I'm not going to embarrass Pepper by wearing my-"

"You're going shopping." Tony tossed Darcy a small black something.

"The black American Express is metal?" It was literally the first thing she thought.

"Go shopping Lewis I've seen all your stuff, er suits, uh clothes. Look just get out and shop. Shoo!"

After shopping she headed over to the check-in with Agent Sitwell.

"How's LA?"

"Good, they stay in most of the time."

"Is he working on anything big?"

"I think so, he won't let me thoroughly inspect the garage workshop."

"Doesn't matter he hasn't had a sustained period of inventing in a while." Darcy felt exposed and vulnerable to cameras even in her baseball cap and hoodie. The Museum of Tolerance didn't seem like it would have paparazzi but she was suspicious of every phone. And it seemed disrespectful of what the place stood for. She sighed as she touched the names on the wall. Thinking about Grandma Golda, born Hannah Goldberg, who had been the lone survivor of her whole family. Agent Sitwell offered her a water bottle after a few moments of silence. They'd already had a discussion in the lower levels the entire lower level locked down just for a two hour debrief of the last week. She'd expected it, a lot had happened that she needed to report. Now he was just following her through the museum proper.

"Will that be all Jasper?"

"That's it."

"Wanna walk through with me?" Darcy was going to stay and she preferred the company. Her handler just blinked and nodded. Bonding, SHIELD style. Minus the bullets.

Darcy was... bored. She totally understood the reasoning behind being asked to spend a day a week at Stark Industries. Pepper wanted her to learn the aspects of being her personal assistant because it wasn't all just Tony wrangling or lab assistant wrangling. Darcy was being groomed for great things (again) but there was no shooting range at work to let off steam and every time she went in to the offices she felt judged. It had been freeing to be at SHIELD as a Probationary Agent everyone there might be look at her because she was new or loud mouthed but they didn't care what she looked like.

Stark Industries PR department, residing in a separate nicer part of LA and not the industrial area. The old building that Tony and Pepper had done most of their work in was a few miles away and had a few offices for executives but was more functional less public, the new one felt completely surreal in comparison. Instead of geometric utilitarian lines the new "headquarters" (so placed in quotes because they wanted to project a fashionable and approachable headquarters was only an actual headquarters if Pepper was in the building) was a completely energy efficient building. Recycling all its own waste, photovoltaics on the roof and plenty of greenery that did the job of recycling the grey water. The only problem was the people. It seemed to have a prerequisite body fat percentage clause. These people weren't just hungry for success they were actually hungry for food, they acted like every tweet was an emergency and it drove Darcy nuts. Sure she'd gone through the withdrawal period from twitter and FB when she'd joined SHIELD but now being back on there it didn't obsess her like before. In fact since she was Tony's PA she had loads of twitter duties, updating his public events, funny things he'd say, kids in Iron Man costumes were always a hit. But maybe it took updating twitter being part of her job description for her to hate it (note to self: Ask Pepper if she'll be had been kind enough to get me a lackey who also had access to the account to keep it going when I'm was too busy).

At that point Darcy shook herself, she hated having to dress up in high heels just to be looked down on because they didn't know where she'd come from. Everyone would wave around their Ivy League educations and have that little look when she said where she'd gone to college and what her major had been. I could literally beat up half the people in here, the other half I might kill accidentally because they don't eat! she thought hopelessly bored.

At SHIELD there were threat assessments, protocols to learn and the occasional reports to type up but it wasn't NASDAQ fluctuations and news watching or heaven forbid Tony or Pepper not looking immaculate. Now she was expected to look immaculate since she was showing up in pretty much every picture with Tony even if was somewhere in the background.

"Ow!" Darcy winced the tailor working on her gown accidentally stabbed with yet another pin. I've been shot, burned and beat up by super spies and now I'm just a highly paid poodle, she thought bitterly. The gown was ridiculously beautiful... but these gowns didn't come in her size, so lots of tailoring was needed to fit her small waist, big hips, ample bosom and short stature. Darcy never thought she'd miss her suits so much.

They were in the elevator, then the armoured Rolls-Royce Phantom and driving through downtown Los Angeles. At least LA was gorgeous in the the warm heat delicious on Darcy's skin, but she frowned at her boots. They were skintight black and they were too much for high nineties weather.

It was unsettling and disturbing finding pictures of herself with Pepper and Tony online all the time, Ok to be perfectly honest it was a little funny in the beginning after she'd discovered people were speculating that Tony was cheating on Pepper with Darcy. It'd been funny for like a week until some "source" speculated that Darcy was wearing a hoodie because she was hiding a pregnancy. The picture in question was taken in Central Park it had Iron Man picking carrying Darcy after saving her from the robots.

The PR team had even confronted Darcy about her "hideous boot habit". "Normally boots are awesome, you know during winter or fall. Not cute in the summer sweetie." This particular stylist had barged into the "emergency" meeting over Darcy's image and the damage control they were doing over all the rumors. Pepper cleared her throat and dismissed the entire conference sized room. Rhodey had been waiting in the lobby for the meeting to end and he came in before everyone was gone.

"Lunch?" suggested Rhodey.

"I'm famished," admitted Pepper. They went to a fabulous restaurant the tenth such restaurant Darcy had been to where prices were completely missing.

"How's Rae?" asked Pepper. Rhodey hesitated before answering. "Sorry, if you don't want to talk about it in front of Darcy. Its just we tell her everything." The thing was even though Pepper rarely had occasions to apologize (a side effect of being nearly-perfect) it occurred to Darcy that she was very blatantly telling Rhodey, Darcy probably already knows about Tony and Rae, so go ahead and talk about you and Rae. Darcy looked around the table and decided if the silence lasted another five seconds she was out. But in the end Rhodey spilled, they were separated. The business lunch had hit a lull when the Rhodey had left to use the restroom.

"Darcy are you ok?" Pepper's phone was put away and she found the woman was hard to ignore across the table. "I'm fine boss." Darcy smiled around her Arnold Palmer. Pepper studied her, and invited her to the restroom, when they walked together Darcy could practically feel herself being examined.

"Darcy?" Pepper prompted softly, Darcy said she was fine again.

"Really? The stylist will be informed and no one will bother you about boots in eighty degree weather. But you have been daydreaming, wearing a blank look all the time. You know like before we hired you." Darcy tried to deny it but her mouth didn't work. "Oh Darce I'm sorry they're idiots I'll tell the PR department to leave you alone entirely." now she'd made Pepper apologize. "Forget I said anything."

"Don't worry about it, that's their job and my job is to be of whatever assistance I can be to your and Tony. I'll figure something out." Darcy smiled and waved it away. Pepper's phone beeped at her and she answered it. After they were done in the bathroom and back with Rhodey the subject was dropped like it had never happened.

Except that night when they were on the jet back to New York, the Fourth of July was going to be spectacular after the huge victory a mere two months and half ago.

"Darcy I'm going to send you to the plastic surgeon that worked on Tony's shrapnel scarring, and a few backups too. We'll cover it and it'll take awhile to heal but you'll look great really. " Darcy nodded and smiled saying thank you and taking a drink of her screwdriver. "You're still unhappy though. And I've seen you in the hospital. But you don't have to of course."

"Pepper, I'm not unhappy it's just..." Darcy closed her eyes, unzipped and pulled her boots off, looked at the scarring, "they're not even that bad I still have full mobility. Technically I never would have cared and I know I need the surgery so I can stop hiding but... its just annoying." She rubbed the different colored skin, reddish at the seams and lumpy in the middle. Pepper was still looking her eyes exhausted and clean of makeup she was trying to understand. Darcy got up and served them some salads with extra dressing and they ate and watched the news. Pepper was grateful and didn't pick up the issue again. Afterwards, Darcy was full and restless. Her fingers wandered down to the grafts. The sagginess was well-hidden under opaque tights and boots these past weeks but it was summer. Darcy still had hopes she'd find patterned tights that would go with her wardrobe so she could stop wearing boots everywhere. She curled up on the couch hugging her legs and watching the headlines flick across her laptop screen. She couldn't concentrate, and she stared out the window into the dark night. Who knew her fourth time on Tony Stark's private jet would feel so lonely?

"So Doc, what's the verdict, will I be pretty again?" Darcy liked the look of this guy for an imposter he was too hot and good at his bedside manner to be new to this sort of deception.

"Oh I think you know how beautiful you are," his blue-grey eyes sparkled mischievously, "and your scars will soon be a distant memory." Breathe Darcy, just breathe, he isn't that handsome. she told herself. His long fingers skimmed over the bumpy scar tissue, beginning at mid-thigh down to the ankle studying the extent of the burn and the seam of pink and white scar tissue that bordered it. He looked at her other leg briefly and flicked his eyes up to hers studying her reactions as his fingers roamed a bit more. Darcy was glad she was wearing boy shorts because the way her leg was splayed over his knee had rucked up the paper gown a few inches from her crotch. Not to mention he was probably going to dare looking at her torso and massive scarring. This was a fancy office and the paper wasn't thick and scratchy but she was naked under it except for those underwear. He gripped her ankle gently guiding her leg down, running his fingers over the rest of her foot, thumb rubbing the instep. He never took his eyes off her face, studying her reactions as it went from bored to tense, and finally,

"There's no scar on my foot," Darcy blurted out, she stilled her features glad for once that she was wearing heavy makeup and he wouldn't be able to see her blush.

"Right, yes, just checking let me look at your chart here." The "Doctor" said snatching his hand away and turning to the computer then looking at the actual paper file that was resting on the computer desk. He looks flustered thought Darcy, too bad its not for me, and just about his little prank. She sighed watching him move away his lab coat hid his ass but his pants were perfectly tailored the slim fit displaying his long legs where they splayed and she was tempted to check him out too...

"Ah yes, Ms. Lewis if you'll just remove your gown and I can have a look at your scar." and now the prank had reached its conclusion.

"I'm sorry your prank was good, you totally didn't back down points for all of that. If you'd only gone out for a few dinners I might have shown you the girls but now you'll just have to call in your brother so he can inspect my scars."

"Excuse me, I'm flattered but I don't think it's appropriate for a doctor to date a patient," his voice was melodic and Darcy thought she could listen to it all day long.

"Listen I know you're not the good Dr. Blake because he's blonder than you, what is that color anyways? I'd hazard to say darker than strawberry blonde but not really red with lots of pale blonde... Anyways you're not him." They looked at each other, Darcy's arms crossed over her chest. She wasn't sure if his mane was all natural red hair was and the blonde and should be from the bottle or he spent lots of time in the garden. It mattered because she wasn't sure if he was actually related to Don because otherwise their faces didn't look at all similar. She guessed, "Before you go get your brother, do you have anything to say for yourself?"

"I'm at a loss, why ever would you think I'm not Dr. Blake?"

"I said you're not the good Dr. Blake, you've probably got a doctorate of some kind but you aren't the plastic surgeon I'm supposed to see." Darcy finished her spiel calmly like she'd been talking about the weather.

He couldn't suppress a grin and he flashed it as footsteps approached and the door swung open.

"Ms. Lewis, I'm sorry for my lateness, I was held up." the blonde lanky doctor was leaning heavily on his cane, panting a bit, but Darcy was pretty sure his red face was from anger if she went by the clenching of his jaw and the tightness of his expression.

"That's ok your brother here was just keeping me company, he's very hospitable." she said it evenly no flirtation at all.

"Yes, well I'm sure he has to get back to his work, whatever it is." The ginger haired brother rose and bowed slightly. The blonder brother hobbled into the room glaring at his brother and sat down carefully on the stool.

"It was a pleasure to meet you Darcy, perhaps we'll meet again." The imposter was being cheeky but she didn't mind. Just nodded gave a small smile and turned her attention to Dr. Blake.

When Darcy emerged from the examination fully dressed the ginger haired brother caught her in the corridor and redirected her to his brother's office.

"We'll just wait for my brother, " he paced a bit before going to sit in the chair next to her.

"Oh I'm sorry my friend Dr. Foster was going to sit there." He looked at her, surprised and got up.

"About that, I only came in because I'd misdirected your friend to another room, she was in the room that you were supposed to be in."

"So you know about her and Donald?"

"I... yes." He was intrigued that she'd caught on so quickly.

"So did it work?"

"...No..." she was too businesslike about the whole thing and it was throwing him off. He liked Darcy Lewis, instead of freaking out she'd played him right back.

"You're not going to complain?"

"I would only need to lodge a complaint if something untoward had happened."

"You are... really unsettling, and I'm sorry for playing with you."

"How so? and no you're not."

"I expected you to be mad and this all to end comically but you seem pretty... serious. Guessing I'm his brother was very surprising, though I am adopted. And I am sorry I included you in my ruse when you were indisposed."

"Honestly I can handle myself, I played along because I figured out who you were. If-" Darcy was cut off by the entrance of Drs Blake and Foster. The ginger brother rose to leave quickly his eyes never leaving Darcy's face, she quirked another smile at him. "Yes maybe next time we can discuss other methods of disguise or would you call it misdirection? For my scars, as you've seen they are very distracting."

"Your loveliness is not diminished by them, I'm sure there's quite a story there." he kissed her hand bowed low and took out a card from his pocket. "Here's my number if you ever want to tell me that story. Perhaps we could have dinner sometime."

"Is Loren bothering you Ms. Lewis?" asked Dr. Blake.

"No he's fine, just keeping me entertained." They discussed treatment options and overall Darcy heard everything she was expecting to hear but he still wanted a follow up to experiment with a new laser treatment. She agreed only because she wanted to make Jane come with her not because she thought it would work.

"Did you know who your doctor was?" Jane was rarely angry but the tension in her voice was unmistakable.

"Yes, I did, but I tried to make you stay in the lab."

"You should have told me," Jane had lost the tension her voice just quiet and resigned. "I wasn't prepared to see him like that, wasn't prepared to see him at all. Oh Darcy he uses a cane now!" Jane was on the verge of tears and Darcy didn't know whether to give her a hug or get her chocolate. Both was probably better, she hugged Jane and had the taxi stop at Haagen-Daz getting Jane a Bailey's infused chocolatey thing. They stopped to nurse their slightly alcoholic chocolatey mixed drinks at a park next to the Brooklyn Promenade. The sun was setting and the humid heat lingering.

"Did you ever think eighty degrees wasn't warm enough?"

"Oh god yes, I hated the New Mexico nights."

"I wish I was back in California, none of this gross humidity." Darcy was fanning herself with her hand, pulling her hair into messy bun. She was glad she'd worn the long skirt because the idea of pants was intolerable.

"You knew didn't you? About Don trying to reach me?"

Darcy nodded, "Didn't know about the accident though."

"It feels like a conspiracy, a cosmic conspiracy to keep me from Thor, with Donald being... so different and its weird its not even about the accident. He's changed, sweeter, considerate..." Darcy checked her cell and Jane sat in contemplation."And then there's Bruce." Darcy almost choked on her drink, Jane giggled.

"Didn't see that one coming did you?" Darcy had seen it though.

"Well I thought about it but I didn't really think it would go anywhere if Thor came back sooner instead of later. Bruce is... he's very cautious. And now there's a good chance he's back in contact with his ex." Jane didn't seem disappointed though so Darcy figured she wasn't really that invested in that possibility.

"I know. But he's such a cutie with his rumpled clothes... he has a really hot body though, I saw half naked after the last time he was changing back... So hot." Darcy sighed, she'd seen Bruce half naked at SHIELD and then during the robot attack in Central Park where he'd fallen exhausted half-naked again.

"Glad I'm not the only one then who can appreciate him." Jane laughed. "If Bruce wasn't the Hulk he could have a lot of different women but he's so damn shy." The sun had slipped down low the great yellow disc gone and the orange red gradients all that was left.

"I'm going to have dinner with Don, I don't know about dating him again, but... oh so help me if has changed. I might fall for him again." Darcy looked at her friend then, put an arm around her and squeezed. She'd learned that Jane made her decisions about relationships fairly quickly, so the pull towards Don must have been pretty strong for her to even consider giving up on Thor.

* * *

Notes:

I've got about 70% to 75% written, I should be updating every Wednesday and possibly some weekends (depends how quickly I can edit and polish.)

Also I do have some deleted shopping scenes planned for _Glimpses_.

And to answer question from a guest reviewer, the 10th chapter of **The Last Recommendation of Agent Coulson** was in fact something that happens right after the story but I called it an epilogue and in AO3 I just started a whole new story where I'm going to keep all the extra scenes (most of the series is already planned and half is written). Mostly because I feel like it disrupts the flow of the story but this story follows like a day or so after _Glimpses_. (sorry I can't answer it when you log in as guest :/ )


	4. What place is besieged

The threats against Tony may seem small compared to gods and aliens but they start adding up.

I took the chapter title from this poem: What Place is Besieged?  
by Walt Whitman  
(1819-1892) What place is besieged, and vainly tries to raise the siege?  
Lo, I send to that place a commander, swift, brave, immortal,  
And with him horse and foot, and parks of artillery,  
And artillery-men, the deadliest that ever fired gun.

* * *

"Have dinner with me." the text was from an unknown number so Darcy ignored it. "This is Loren Blake."

"Sure. " Darcy didn't think about it because well he was hot and he'd probably already passed through some of SHIELD's radar because of Don. Not to mention she was not the type to pine away. A distraction would be good. "When?"

"Tonight. Meet me on the steps of the Museum of Natural History." Soon much? thought Darcy and almost as if in reply to her thought he texted again, "Why wait for a good thing?"

"There! So if you'll kindly tell that AI to let me back into my database..." Hank was standing too close to Darcy but she was still focused on her cell. "Darcy! Now please! Or are we interrupting your texting?!" and yelled practically in her ear after she didn't react immediately.

"You did, because technically I'm on break."

"Listen you just because you're Tony's so-called personal assistant doesn't mean you can be bossing me around. Take your damn report."

Darcy tried to remember why Tony had hired the arrogant Hank Pym. Something about being on the verge of a huge breakthrough and getting him out of SHIELD's hair. Darcy skimmed the report which was still full of lots of technical terms she didn't understand. What part of, "translate it so that business and poli sci majors can understand it" did he not understand? She closed her eyes and took the report back to her office. "JARVIS what exactly did Tony tell me when he hired the Pyms?"

JARVIS cued up the voice recording of Tony saying word for word, "These are the Pyms we're getting them out of SHIELD's hair. Watch them closely."

Darcy headdesked and just let her head rest on the cool lucite topped desk. Tony's implied, "They're your problem now," had escaped her at the moment but it was clear from the way Tony never spent time in the upper labs that he was avoiding the Pyms. Or rather Hank especially. Darcy pulled out her laptop and started trying to make sense of Pym's report. She was really looking forward to her date if only so she didn't have to deal with these reports for a few hours.

Don hobbled around the medical offices looking for something. He felt uneasy, this feeling of missing more than just his silver chain with the kitschy charms was driving him to distraction. Loren emerged from the basement labs wearing a crisp white button down shirt and his suit trousers, jacket in hand.

"Going out?"

"Perhaps."  
"Mona said it was her night to cook."

"Give her my apologies and I'll see you tomorrow." Loren's

"Loren wait! Have you seen my-"

"Tacky cheap necklace? No I haven't. Maybe you lost it at home."

"Perhaps..." Don said, something told him that Loren shouldn't be going out today but with it came the realization that it was irrational to think Loren shouldn't date. Don felt helpless, powerless to fight the encroaching feeling of nervousness.

"How did you get reservations so quickly?"

"One of your clients is the manager, I said the reservation was for you. Now if you'll excuse me, I'll be late." Loren was gone and Don was left alone to look for the chain. He slumped into the receptionist's chair and rummaged through her drawers, finally leaving her a note. "Make some posters for a reward for my chain, $1000 for its recovery." By the time he arrived home in Brooklyn the nervousness was gone.

Darcy let him lead the way by default his stride was nearly twice hers since she was wearing a long, tight skirt and four inch heels. She'd been expecting dinner and possibly a movie or coffee. Not a quick stroll through Central Park. For a second he ducked and disappeared in the crowd his lanky limbs, blonde and ginger curls literally dropping out from sight. She paused briefly and spied a little path that led into a dark hedge lined area.

"Over here." he called out from the courtyard. Darcy followed him in and twirled around looking incredulously at the title of the restaurant that this courtyard belonged to. "Tavern on the Green? This is a little touristy isn't it?"

"Hard to get reservations on the same day, don't I get points for that?" He took her hand and pulled her in.

"Maybe. Unless..." she replied as he checked in. The pause as they were seated.

"No, I did not have a standing reservation." he said matter of fact like he got accused of lying all the time.

"Of course not." They went in were seated and Darcy started with the standard date questions. His reaction to her on which types of music was to give her a slightly restrained eyeroll and state plainly, "Doesn't matter unless we go to a concert or we're playing music in the bedroom." he was quickly boring of the questions and proceeded to carry on all the prerequisite date questions. Or rather he asked then answered for the both of them and she sat amused as he got nearly everything wrong about her. Instead of being annoyed Darcy found it charming and hilarious. He was trying to make her laugh and it felt nice to be actively charmed for once.

"So what's your major?" Darcy was in the middle of a sip of Long Island iced tea and was just swallowing as Loren continued to answer for her. "Wait, no don't tell me, you were a business major, became close friends with Jane through your college work and now you've worked your angles to land this sweet personal assistant job." The waitress came and took their orders. He changed his mind about the appetizers twice and ordered to go with their drinks as she looked around the restaurant . It might be touristy but at least most of the people here weren't stuck up or bored. So many were still excited to be in New York for the first time that she could hear little comments about how glorious the Statue of Liberty had been and even their disappointment that the Empire State building was still closed due to reconstruction. Darcy envied them a little, here she'd been living in the city for well over four months and still she'd never seen those places. Well seeing the Empire State building didn't count if you were seeing it through their surveillance and running face-recognition algorithms back when she was still with SHIELD.

"Aren't you too young for me?" he asked, clearly trying to stir her from her private reverie.

"How old do you think I am?" Darcy could bet this was something other than her age since he had access to her file. She rarely had time to be quiet and his demands on her attention suddenly chafed.

"Your face says early twenties but if I'm right about you washing out of a military career then late twenties."

"Wrong on all counts." And he knew he was wrong so...

"So that gunshot wasn't from a battle? Or a brief stint in law enforcement?" he asked and there it was, Loren wanted to know about her personal history, really, no more joking.

"What's with the age questions?" she said brushing it off before it started to feel like the regular date interrogation.

"Alright, I confess I saw those pictures in the news about Von Dooms robots and your Avenger friends." he looked genuinely intrigued.

Darcy didn't know what to say, maybe she really was just too sensitive about her injuries and she was being overly suspicious.

"Listen I know you're not supposed to talk about your work. A lawyer came to Don's office and demanded we sign non disclosure agreements. It was all very official sounding."

"I'm sorry I didn't know." she said for lack of something else to say, then her cell vibrated and he continued talking.

"You're an important person Miss Lewis. I imagine they didn't tell you because they wanted to protect you." Darcy wanted to say thank you or try to figure out what that look on his face meant. It was somewhere between a sly smile and amusement. Her phone beeped and she shut it off. He looked away. They were quiet for a moment. "I'm also going to guess that you want Jane and Don to get back together."

"Um I dunno. I mean I think it would be good for her to have someone in the city from her past. I can never drag her out of the lab as often as I'd like." Her cellphone vibrated again and she looked down. "I'm so sorry I thought I shut this thing off!" It was from Pepper, giving a heads up that Darcy was trending on Twitter under three different tags #darcylewis #starksmysterygf #wtfstarkstopcheating

"Hold on I've gotta look at this really quick." Going through the stream she noticed an article on Gawker: Darcy Lewis thrice spotted with Tony Stark, is this his new girlfriend? Darcy's heart stuttered erratically as she scrolled through the different news articles JARVIS was sending her. She shut her eyes quickly, opened them and took out the battery from her cell under the table and stuffed both pieces in her purse.

When she looked at Loren again he looked vaguely annoyed but he accepted politely at her as she apologized. The rest of the dinner passed awkwardly. She didn't want dessert just really wanted to get out of there and figure out what she needed to do on her end. How did Pepper's PR team want to deal with this?

Loren was silent as she offered to go dutch. As they left the restaurant the awkward silence grew unbearable. "Listen I'm sorry about the interruption."

"You didn't have to answer. One might say it's rude to spend so much time on one's cell during a date." He was leading them to the lake and Darcy was tired of trying to keep up with his stride. "Not that it matters of course."

"I'm sorry ok, but I thought you understood about my job, its not really my fault." She wanted to point out she'd turned off the damn thing but she couldn't. Why she was even still here when she obviously needed to be watching the news was beyond her. He stopped and stood in her way a full arms length away.

"I don't really. But I'd like to kiss you. May I?" She looked up at him, startled by the request. They were standing on the edge of bridge, the water reflecting the half moon, the glow of the scattered lamps in the park looking like fairy lights in the distance through the trees. He was stupidly tall but trying not to tower over her, he searched her face. Even with her heels and him leaning down he would have to lean down much more. The timing was terrible Darcy had so much to do.

"Yes." She found herself saying. He leaned down his large grey-blue eyes closing. He cupped her face, and kissed her. She held still the tension from the evening still bottled up, it lasted for a moment and he withdrew.

"I can do better." he said looking down at her, and suddenly he was kissing her passionately arms around her waist almost pulling her off her feet. She opened her mouth to him. He entered gently, soft licks into her mouth leaving her breathless. Mouths open breathing each other in they held on for another moment.

"Weren't we fighting a minute ago?" she murmured.

"Yes I believe we were."

"Maybe it was just an argument." she wondered loving the delicious thrill of being held close.

Loren smiled and agreed. "Hmm."

I'm in trouble, thought Darcy. Big trouble. She kissed him, digging a hand into his curly hair and making him moan. He cleared his throat, "I'll understand if you want go home now."

"Well the kiss usually comes at the end of the date so I guess we have to."

Darcy grinned at him and pulled away. "Good call."

He texted her after putting her in a cab. "Busy tomorrow?"

"Probably but I can probably get away for dinner."

Darcy didn't get to do the post date recap with Jane since Jane refused to leave the lab. Work was the same though Darcy felt pretty relaxed and distracted. She didn't even wince when she found out about Baintronics was suing Stark Industries. It happened as Darcy was filtering her emails down in the Super Secret Hero lab keeping the three brainiacs company and especially Jane who'd finally collapsed onto her desk after twenty-six hours straight of being in the lab. She was currently dozing in a comfy big couch Tony had between their two areas. Darcy gathered more information about Baintronics and filed away the information for later. The name "Bain" rung a bell but from Tony's personal exploits when she'd done all that research on him almost two months ago. Before she could ask him about it she was summoned to the New York offices of SI. Baintronics research would have to wait.

For the second date they found a little hole in the wall Italian restaurant. The plates of pasta seemed to disappear as they murmured and drank a light red wine. She felt pleasantly warm as he kept a hand on her back. She pulled away to hail a cab and once inside they kissed desperately. The cabbie interrupted their kiss to insist on a destination. They'd already run up a ten dollar fare when they decided being in the backseat was too tempting, paid and got out.

Sidewalk space was at a premium since so many streets were still being repaired and scaffolds were set up around buildings. So Darcy and Loren walked and talked, occasionally they'd find themselves pressed against each other trying to get through a crowd, Loren would pull her through and every so often he'd randomly pull her close and kiss her. It made her heart skip a beat and by the time they'd gone a dozen blocks Darcy found herself back at the Tower. They had talked about everything it seemed, liberal amounts of truth sprinkled through all their banter.

"I want to come up." he said. "But you see I've stolen your cell and you've gotten quite a few missed calls."

Darcy's mouth dropped open, feeling like someone had slapped her and she checked the messages as he sat down on one of the tables of the cafe next to the Tower. There were messages from Tony and Pepper mostly standard stuff. One from Jane and another curiously enough from JARVIS himself, he was wondering why she wasn't answering her and should he not receive an answer in about half an hour he was going to report her kidnapped. Darcy looked up at Loren and he looked completely unconflicted. He even smiled up at Steve when he stepped out of the now closed cafe apparently waiting for Beth to finish closing up. Darcy was busy pacing as Steve walked over, "you ok Darcy?"

"Yeah I'm fine its just my date here thought it'd funny to steal my cell."

"In my defense I truly didn't want to be interrupted tonight. Besides she's a workaholic."

Steve rarely seemed as annoyed as he did now. He squared his jaw and studied Loren. "That sir, does not sound like an apology."

"Because its not. I'm happy I stole it, wish I could have stolen her away tonight." Loren was amused at Steve's concern and Darcy's visible panic her hands fluttering up to try and get in Steve's face and reason with them.

"Wow ok Loren apologize to me and Steve thanks but I've got this." Beth was locking up and Steve had his "Captain America does not approve" face on. It frankly made Darcy a little excited that Loren was not withering under it.

"Darcy Lewis, I'm glad I stole your phone, having you all to myself tonight was sublime. But I'm sorry I've invaded your privacy and upset you." Loren pulled her hand up gently and bowed low over it to place a kiss to it. "I apologize to you please don't hold my selfishness against me, it was for a good cause."

Darcy for the life of her couldn't tear her eyes away from Loren and his "sincere" apology. They were all half hidden in the night shadows distorting their features Loren was even taller than Steve and much thinner.

"I'll have to think about accepting it." Darcy said trying not to laugh at the absurd situation. Two amazingly handsome men arguing about how she should be treated. But the reality was sobering, as a former (Probationary) SHIELD Agent she knew how real the threat of kidnapping was to anyone who worked in Stark Tower. "And you won't be coming up tonight."

"Are you sure the punishment fits the crime?" Loren exclaimed.

"Very."

Steve cleared his throat noisily, disapproval radiating.

"See Steve? I totally got it under control." She looked at Steve then and noticed how odd it was that she didn't feel embarrassment or even torn between the two. Good friend versus potential boyfriend and it was completely ok, it also helped that Beth had walked over and was hanging back. "Hi Beth."

"Hiya Darcy!" She was a sweet girl and Darcy had liked her the first time Beth had waited on her, not knowing this was who Steve was dating. "Oh yeah this is my date Loren Blake." She eyed Loren's bowed form and worried her lip.

"Um what's going on here?" And then Darcy realized exactly how awkward the situation was because it was clear that Steve was still annoyed.

"Oh my date Loren here stole my cell and Steve thought he should apologize. He has and now I guess he's spent enough time pretending to be sorry. Thanks Steve for staring him down." Steve nodded and but didn't move as Beth wrapped her arms around his arm.

"Nice to meet you Loren, I'm Beth." Loren took her hand bowed over it slightly and after a second offered it to Steve. They had another little staring contest and finally Beth tugged on Steve's arm.

"You know Mr. Blake, you remind me of someone I didn't like very much. I suppose you couldn't be him though."

"Come on Steve dear, you haven't eaten dinner yet. Goodnight Darcy!" Beth looked mortified and tried hurrying away attempting to pull at Steve's bulky form. Darcy waved goodbye and then walked up to the Tower's glass doors and didn't look to see if Loren was following her.

"Are you terribly angry?" For once he sounded concerned and still Darcy didn't meet his gaze. "He's very protective of you, who is he?"

Darcy was so flustered she didn't know how to answer that for a second and then remembered the cover story. "I know him from work, mostly does some contracting work on the Tower here."

"Seems to care alot even with a girl of his own."

"He's just a nice guy Loren." Darcy was suddenly not at all concerned about Steve or her old crush on him. It occurred to her for perhaps the first time that Loren was not a nice guy, because between the two the nice guy absolutely did not like Loren's actions so maybe Loren himself was not nice. And yet maybe nice counted for nothing, after all she'd done in the name of rescuing herself. She sighed. "Look that was a huge invasion of privacy, controlling who I talk to and wanting some time to yourself are two very different things. It doesn't bode well for this working out."

"Don't say that Darcy. Please? I promise to behave properly next time. If you'll let there be a next time." Loren's hands were holding her own and she wanted to feel them on her, it was distracting how much she wanted him. But she stood strong.

"I'll think about it. Goodnight Loren."

"Goodnight Darcy." she turned away from him and walked through the glass doors and immediately regretted not kissing him again. She got a text before she stepped into the elevator. "Kiss goodnight?" She turned around and grinned, and blew him a kiss. Loren caught it mid air and held it to his heart.

Nice was overrated. Nice was safe and attractive but she hadn't been just a "nice Jewish girl" in a very long time. It was time to stop deluding herself into thinking that morality had anything to do with niceness she mused as she wrestled with sleeplessness. Maybe it didn't seem right that she could forgive Loren so easily but Darcy was certain not everyone would understand about all the killing she'd done even if it was to save lives. Wasn't it time to start giving people second chances to prove themselves?

The city skyline was still marred whole buildings blacked out jagged edges. What was that NDT had tweeted the other day? "NYC's light pollution approx. 25-45% (depending on weeknight or weekend) less than pre-invasion. Stars are burning thru the night like NYers haven't seen in decades. A tragedy leading to a beautiful revelation."

The Tower felt empty for the next few days. Jane never left the lab she was so wrapped up in her experiments and research. Steve, Clint, Natasha, and the twins were all busy with missions and training. Darcy wouldn't have noticed anyways she was too busy wrestling with the PR team and being told what to wear and how to behave around Tony to decrease rumors.

"Can't, I have to work." Of course Darcy wanted a third date after those kisses during the first and second, she checked her schedule, "Saturday? Wait no today is Saturday, how about tomorrow? I work in the morning but after lunch, I'm free."

"Come to our place. We can make a day of it." This was risky Darcy knew. Giving him most of her day would be too tempting considering how passionate he seemed to be.

"I'll be there after I get off work."

Back at the the Tower in the enormous living room there was PR stuff to deal with, press releases stating who Darcy was. Darcy, Tony, and Bruce had managed to pull Jane out of the lab after the latest mission for a dinner. There were shots of the four eating and drinking, Darcy sitting next to Tony whispering something in his ear, Tony hovering behind her looking over her shoulder. With Jane and Bruce there they looked like they were on a double date. Darcy might have only been wearing jeans and a sparkly top with some heels but standing next to Tony who was also wearing jeans and one of his old Black Sabbath shirts they looked like a couple. It was a shit storm of crap but it was interrupted by Tony who cut into the conference call and told everyone to go to sleep so Pepper could come to bed.

Next morning in a follow up meeting the PR department wanted Darcy to change her style when she was with Tony, look more professional and less like a college kid, wear less makeup maybe uglify herself one actually suggested. They were rehashing what they'd told her in LA and now Darcy had a better argument.

"That's ridiculous they'll just have more to write about." she declared as she paced her office behind Pepper and Tony as they did a video conference with the PR team in LA.

"Just leave Lewis alone, and let her get back to work. Deny, deny, deny and besides she's with Pepper the rest of the time." Tony generally hated dealing with the PR team but Pepper agreed.

"Someone is eventually going to make the connection that she's been working at SI so just come up with a few press releases concerning that and we'll deal with it as it comes." She ended the conference and turned back to Darcy as they walked into elevator and Jane joined them.

"How was your date the other night?" Leave it to Jane to notice Darcy had been dating almost four days after the first.

"She went on a date?" Tony perked up and looked Darcy eyes wide in shock. Darcy just rolled her eyes.

"It was fine I've got a third date tomorrow." Pepper winked at Darcy and smiled.

"And you don't think that's too soon?" Jane said jumping into the conversation. Darcy was starting to suspect Jane of ganging up on Darcy for dating. But that would require noticing things and Jane wasn't always good at that.

"I don't know we had an interesting time both times." They emerged into the living room for a leisurely breakfast as Pepper was rarely in the building for breakfast.

Before anything else could happen the team was ordered to return to SHIELD. The three women were left to spend the rest of their Saturday morning working on various projects. Pepper was inspecting the renovated Super Secret Hero Lab. It was messier in Jane's third but Jane liked to have a space with a creative chaos going on. She had half built prototypes in several states of completion littered with readouts all of which defied comprehension.

Bruce had actual living specimens in his third. He was working on some of Tony's nanite prototypes and was closely monitoring their progress in animals. A chimpanzee that had been born to a lab chimp and had inadvertently been affected by strong drugs and had been born with serious birth defects was being assisted by cybernetic limbs designed by Tony.

Tony's third was filled with simulations and printouts and two Iron Man suits that were gutted. Pepper stalked each section asking a few questions and letting Darcy and Jane answer what they could.

"So Jane, Darcy says you haven't left the lab for more than a few hours at a time for the last few weeks."

"I've been busy I'm making breakthroughs with my pocket universe theory. Reed thinks mobile execution would be unlikely but..."

Pepper raised a single hand and placed it on Jane's shoulder. "We're going shopping."

"Darcy already bought me some new clothes."

"That's only because she couldn't get you to leave. We will go shopping."

Darcy giggled as Jane tried but failed to raise objections. And by the way? Seeing Pepper commandeer a shopping trip was a thing of beauty on a Friday no less!

Even though it was a Saturday news finally broke of Baintronics suing Stark Industries and again Darcy's name was being brought up.

"Tony Stark is womanizer and a thief he stole those plans from me all those years ago and I'm going to get what's due to me!" She seemed a bit crazed but it made a fantastic sound bite. "And now look how he's cheating on Pepper with that young girl! He has to be locked up for corporate espionage and maybe he'll stop preying on young girls too!"

It made Darcy see red that she was still being used against Tony. And it was ridiculous that Darcy was too young for him, he was barely twenty years older than her! But it made her eager to find a way to absolve Tony. Then she realized there was a way to at least absolve him. She was in the middle of conference call with the PR team who were trying to convince her to stay in the lab and to start wearing her blonde wig they'd gotten her. Darcy shut the conference call down and went to her Tony's room where he and Pepper were resting. Tony had suffered a concussion just a few hours earlier and SHIELD had returned him from the mission before it was over.

"I know how get the media off this whole me and Tony thing AND take away attention from Sue Bain."

"Inside voice Lewis." groaned Tony.

"Sorry." but she kept going. "I'm dating right? So what if we just start getting some of the media outlets to run some pictures of me with Lore?"

"Lore?" Tony repeated incredulously, "What kind of name is that?"

"Short for Loren, he doesn't like it either."

"Go on Darcy ignore Tony."

"Ok so I know SOMEONE has to have pictures of us kissing and hugging. Hell we could probably pull some security footage from the restaurants we were at. Or we could get my SHIELD shadows to hand over some shots."

Pepper's jaw dropped, "She's being followed?! Tell them to stop!"

"Can't Pepper, she was with someone who hasn't been cleared. I don't like it either."

"That's sweet but here's the thing. I'll on a date in a few hours I'll just make sure we're somewhere public. It'll do two things, first it'll make me either a slut or they'll finally realize I'm not with Tony and that he's not a womanizer. And the second is either way it'll be bigger news than Bain's claims that Tony stole that tech."

"No Darcy, that's unacceptable. I won't have you sacrificing your good name and privacy for a groundless accusation, we'll settle it out of court. Won't we Tony?"

Tony had stood up and was leaning against the wall. Darcy rushed to his side and steadied him. He watched her his eyes unfocused and Pepper called for Happy to come help.

"She needs to do this Pep."

"Tony you don't know what you're saying." Pepper protested.

"I do, she's offering, and its a solid plan. Now excuse me I think I need to go be sick." The two women tended to him. Pepper's eyes were red rimmed and she was angry with him but there was nothing she could do besides comfort him.

"Listen Lewis, I'm sorry I'm agreeing to this, you're a good kid. But Pepper won't admit the company is tanking right now. You pull this off and you'd be saving us billions in lawsuits and lost revenue. I'll reward you handsomely. JARVIS, make note of this, Pepper was officially against this but I'm clearing SHIELD to start releasing photos of Miss Lewis here." He looked at Darcy in the eyes.

"Darcy he's going to need your consent too."

Darcy gave her consent and then Tony's eyes, lined with pain and worry, even a touch of sorrow closed and he slumped against the wall until Happy could carry him back to bed.

On Sunday morning the rest of the team still wasn't back from the mission even though it was supposed to be relatively close by in Canada. Without Tony the team was having a hard time and the Fantastic Four had just called up to offer themselves as reinforcements. After the small brunch the three women split up to work and Tony had returned to SHIELD. "Isn't this depressing? We're having a beautiful breakfast and we can't wait to get to work." commented Darcy thoughtlessly.

"Some people have to keep Tony swimming in money so he can play hero." Pepper said shrugging and scooping up dishes to dump in the dishwasher. Leisurely as the breakfast had been Jane was eager to get back to work. Darcy followed. She worked in the lab double checking everyone's workspaces and getting caught up on all the details of their latest research or new half worked on reports when the red lights and the klaxxons sounded in the Tower.

Darcy's training kicked in and she ran for Jane pulling her roughly into the elevator and conferring with JARVIS into Pepper's status. Pepper met her downstairs in the garage. "You checked for any cleaning staff?" Pepper asked.

"Yes ma'am, all having their weekends at home the Tower except for us. SHIELD agents are being dispatched to secure the perimeter."

Pepper nodded and Jane frowned annoyed at another interruption and what she seemed to think was a false alarm. A SHIELD SUV tailed the car Darcy was driving all the way to the private airfield in New Wark, New Jersey. Everyone had time to readjust their schedules and Pepper ended up make up a nice cover story that included her going to LA in anticipation of the Tokyo meetings on Tuesday. There was still no confirmation from JARVIS what kind of threat had been detected but it had happened a few times usually bomb threats and suspicious activity. Once had been the Von Doom attack some weeks ago.

Darcy called Loren and explained that she was going to have to work the whole weekend. "Didn't I say you were a workaholic?"

"Yes you did. Now feel bad for me."

"Hmm I don't think so, I'll feel bad for myself that you've left me with my brother."

"Well then take care I'm driving and talking on cellphone. See you around."

"So long." Darcy would have worried about the lack of emotion or disappointment if they'd had more dates but this was a good chance for him to give up on her if this was what her life was always going to be like. Besides that she wasn't sure how he was going to take being in the spotlight, maybe he was already resentful of the pictures that were being released to the media of them kissing.

It was painfully obvious how badly he was being targeted. Darcy worried that these multiple attacks on Tony, first legally, now the Tower and the unrelated head injury was weighing her boss down. Steve and the twins stayed in New York, Bruce went back to spend time with Betty who he hadn't wanted to bring up to the Tower. Now his fears were justified.

In Malibu by late afternoon Pacific time, Jane was finally getting to see the beautiful sunset from the mansion. The other three watched as Jane marveled at the mansion. No one talked at dinner but Jane, she rambled on about getting to use Tony's lab and he protested weakly. For a moment at least, against threats to the Tower, Tony and Stark Industries, split up from the rest of the Avengers the four of them had found a peaceful harbor from the storm.

* * *

AN: Long chapter but lots of set up. I tried updating last week but every time I edit the chapter I end up adding more! The good news is there should be another chapter update this week.


	5. Make the choice again, Darcy Lewis

Summary:

Darcy, Jane, Pepper and Tony are in LA and then head off to Japan. When they return Darcy gets a little sidetracked.

Notes:

The title of the chapter comes from Doctor Who, series four, episode 11, "Turn Left." The line is spoken by a fortune teller who is not what she seems. "Make the choice again, Donna Noble. And change your mind. Turn right."

* * *

Monday was a flurry of activity at Stark Headquarters in LA, Darcy was rushing to get caught up with the upcoming Tokyo meetings. Still no word from SHIELD about whether or not anything had been found in the Tower, whether it be a bomb, spy, or surveillance tech. It left the four of them, Jane, Darcy, Pepper and Tony to make the trip to Tokyo together. Jane's hair was restless and excitable and was getting increasingly neglectful about keeping herself fed and functioning without constant supervision. Conversations with her either got monosyllabic responses or exuberant rants. "I mean really I would have eaten but Tony doesn't have food in this palace."

"I've got plenty of food, got power bars and protein shakes, I offered her some Darcy!"

"Tony doesn't have Poptarts, really now like who doesn't have poptarts?!" Darcy wanted to hug Jane and then tranquilize her. Also Jane hadn't filed a report with Darcy for almost three weeks. Even Tony didn't really know what she was working on now.

Tokyo looked like a giant neon blur and it was brighter than she'd imagined. Of course both Pepper and Tony were fluent in Japanese and it left Darcy with time to get distracted. "Sorry buddy I'll never learn Japanese if I don't turn you off and try to figure it out for myself," besides listening to JARVIS in her ear all day was too disruptive. Darcy found she liked the formalities and ceremony like business proceedings, even if it made Tony seem like a fidgety little kid in comparison.

Darcy and Jane were staying in Tony's penthouse with the couple. it was easy to pretend amongst the four of them in the evening as they ate dinner and relaxed in the glass box-like main floor that they were peaceful (and there was even a collection of bonsai trees in the middle of the living room to enhance this feigned calm) that this was normal and nothing was wrong back home in the Tower.

There was little word from New York besides the lab assistants were forbidden entry into the labs (and their apartments) until SHIELD could find more evidence. Hank Pym was literally livid that he was also being kept out, but Darcy didn't care about him. So Darcy tasked the assistants with taking more vacation or begin their brainstorming on whatever fantasy project they wanted to present; keeping the scientists busy was still part of her job even halfway around the world.

Still Darcy could see the worry that tethered Tony to Pepper's every move, he was sick of business but he insisted on knowing every detail of their itinerary. Darcy understood why and made sure to keep him updated. Tony was going to take Pepper to a romantic dinner (for once he'd arranged it on his own. After all his Japanese was better than Darcy's and he really seemed to like hiding things from Darcy.

"Tony I swear if you take me to sumo wrestling I will bunk with the girls tonight." Tony looked a little distracted by her threat of abandonment but insisted she drop her tablet and leave that instant. Pepper sighed and let herself be pulled out of the office.

Darcy looked around at the images on loop on the holo displays and sat down to work. The second evening however she managed to get away to have dinner with the rest of Pepper's entourage and dragged Jane out of her temporary lab. Jane did shots of sake like a pro and it made Darcy realize how much she'd missed getting smashed with her best friend. They stumbled back into the penthouse a few hours before the sunrise, high heels in hand dropping like rocks onto the couches until the sun rise woke them. Just the two women in the land of the rising sun, watching as it took over the Tokyo skyline, it made the alienness of the Tokyo softer and more familiar. No matter where Darcy might be, a sunrise was still a new beginning. She sent Nat a picture of herself and Jane dancing their hair flying, kissing at the camera, saying only, "wish you were here!" To which Nat replied: "me too xx."

That bit of encouragement made Darcy feel bold and she started texting the rest of the team about her adventures in Tokyo (She even thought about starting a twitter and couldn't decide on a username and she'd already deleted her old twitter). Sometimes the team would text without her texting first so she was doing the bulk of communicating but mostly it made her miss them. She had a nagging feeling that SHIELD had found something but that they weren't going to tell the civilians about. She missed getting reports from SHIELD or hearing from a handler, hated the feeling of being nowhere in the loop.

By the weekend her Japanese was getting better and she was fairly sure Jane was in love with her temporary lab. Tony finally got Jane to reveal she was nearly ready (well the simulations were looking good, Jane tended to be very optimistic) to, "open a real portal with coordinates that wouldn't lead to open space but probably could lock onto another planet. That is if I had the right resources and time." she stated with a hopeful look eyes bright and grin huge, "I could have it up and running before the year's end! Well that is if I could get a power source for it." the three just stared at her stunned by the news.

Tony had just lured Jane back to the penthouse with the promise of poptarts and possibly getting funding from Pepper for whatever it was she wanted. Darcy was flabbergasted and knew Tony hadn't planned on quite this much funding (as if she could easily fathom what a stable Einstein-Rosenberg bridge might be in actual amounts of money). Pepper was happy for Jane but only Tony and Darcy really understood now why Jane had been so excitable and distracted. To Darcy it meant that if Jane could open a portal with coordinates and they found a power source Thor would be back by next year. Tony thought only of the potential threat that could come through that portal but said nothing. He politely asked Pepper to cease all meetings in favor of leaving for home immediately, his politeness more effective than an outburst. Pepper had accomplished all she was going to and nodded. When they boarded the helicopter on the helipad her face seemed serene except for the tiny lines that pulled at corners of her eyes. Between all the rushing from helicopter to jet, Darcy watched the couple carefully. As they touched down in LA Pepper and Darcy were the only ones to getting off. Tony left that night for New York with Jane passed out in the jet. The city of angels seemed so familiar as they wound through the darkness of Topanga Canyon and finally into Malibu. The mansion was starting to feel like home.

Pepper kept working furiously at the LA headquarters, the peace and equilibrium they'd found in escaping from New York a week ago had evaporated. The softness of people's voices and ceremonial business meetings left behind now there was just the reality of falling stock prices and an assault of bad press over the lawsuit. But Pepper took it in stride, agitated and nervous but never scolding Tony for something that wasn't his fault. For his part Tony called and updated Pepper as often as possible about Chitauri weapons retrieval going on in New York (really the only Avengers missions he could talk about since it was on the nightly news). Finally on Tuesday night three days after returning from Tokyo, Darcy crossed the room and planted herself in front of Pepper.

"I'm going back to New York."

"I need you here." Pepper didn't even look up.

"You've got assistants for your entourage here, I don't know what half of them DO. I'm needed back at the lab." That was a slight exaggeration, Darcy knew what EVERYONE did, she'd made that her first priority. She didn't like people hanging around Pepper without a verified purpose.

"Darcy-"

"If this is about the suggestion I made nearly two weeks ago and this is your roundabout way of preventing me from doing it then you just have to know I'm going to date Blake anyways. So what if a few paparazzi are around when I do? They seemed to love getting shots of me in Tokyo."

Pepper looked away from Darcy and sighed. "I don't like to think about how we're ruining your life." She pulled at the salad on the table and ate a few bites, the sun was setting behind her the light catching on her hair and Pepper seemed to glow like she was in the heart of a fire.

"That's not... That's not even true, this is a mission. Plain and simple, I've got an objective and I'm gonna follow through." Darcy sat down next to Pepper on the leather couch and had to use her hands to keep from slipping around because she was wearing silk. Smooth Lewis, thought Darcy.

"When Tony used to date I'd always worry about the paparazzi finally pissing him off to the point that he'd turn into a hermit. Said he loved it sure, but he'd disappear for days sometimes weeks into his lab with all the inventions and I'd get used to being the only one that knew he was still alive. But what about you? Where can you possibly hide? If you start this they're going to want all of your time. Its asking too much of you." Pepper's concern was written on her face marring the vision of a fiery woman. "You have to let me try. There's no guarantee it'll work Pepper." Pepper studied her, after all this time working so closely Darcy could see that no matter what she did Pepper was essentially a sweet and kind person and these sorts of decisions tore her up. "I'm already set to go and I know you do have plenty of work back in New York." Also Tony but she wanted Pepper to think of him on her own.

"Have you been in my schedule again?" Pepper said with a tinge of exasperation.

Darcy just grinned and called up Happy. "Is the jet ready?"

"Yes it is." he confirmed. Pepper looked around, grabbed her briefcase and her sunglasses and they were good to go. That was one advantage of having too many clothes to wear. You could leave them everywhere in different cities (on different continents no less) and never have to pack again.

Before the jet took off Darcy took a deep breath and texted Loren. "Looks like I'll be in town by tomorrow morning. Meet me for brunch?"

But he didn't answer. Sometime after she arrived at the Tower she looked down to see she'd had a single missed call and a voicemail from a weary but charming Loren. "Sorry about this but I was wondering if you could come bail me out."

Darcy called one of the more discreet law firms they had on retainer under a subsidiary company and arranged for bail. She pinned up her hair and put on a scarf with some sunglasses and a pantsuit and waited in the limo for Jennifer Walters to take care of the situation. Darcy liked the young woman, quiet, a little nervous but not judgmental and very intelligent so she put in a request for Jennifer to be hired to Stark Industries own legal department.

Darcy worked in the darkened car made even darker by her sunglasses and fired off emails as quickly as she could. She hated being away from the office even if it was her lunch hour. Tony was hidden away in the Super Secret Hero Lab trying to improve their Chitauri tech detection and Pepper had given her the rest of the week off from going to SI's Manhattan offices. Darcy was annoyed and picking at her fruit salad when the lanky form of one Loren Blake folded itself next to her. Ms. Walters sat up front with the driver and raised the privacy window.

"Are you hungry?" Darcy asked without looking up.

"Ravenous." She handed him a salad and signaled the driver to take them to Brooklyn. They ate in silence Darcy's eyes never leaving her cell and tablet. Before long they'd dropped off Ms. Walters and she'd explained the legal situation and Darcy had only half listened. Loren promised to pay her back for the legal fees.

"I am sorry." Loren said finally in the stillness of the car, they weren't very far from the Blakes brownstone, the tree-lined street wasn't far from the Promenade and Darcy could see bits of Manhattan and the East River. She could understand why Steve didn't want to leave Brooklyn for the Tower, why he was dating a waitress he'd not only saved but who, as fate would have it, was his neighbor. A girl next door for the nicest guy you could ever know. Why couldn't that be Darcy's life?

"I brought you flowers." Loren said, trying to get Darcy's attention again, he gestured at a large paper bag on his lap. Darcy had assumed it carried his belongings but he withdrew a bouquet of sorts, violent purples and pinks, creamy roses, orchids, a calla lily in the wrong color, even a similax vine, it was mismatched and they were a bit battered. It looked like a collection of the most interesting flowers he could find.

"That's why I was in jail. I was picking them from the Botanical Gardens." Loren said without shame or remorse. Darcy didn't know whether to hit him or just dump him out of the moving car. She settled for silence and the continued use of her best blank look. "You seemed like a girl who would appreciate rare flowers. But just in case I got you some conventional English roses and..." his voice trailed off.

Darcy looked at the riot of colors on the seat between them, something smelled off and she wasn't sure if it was the flowers or Loren or both since they'd spent time in jail.

"Are you coming in?" he asked.

"What would be the point Loren?"

"You can't possibly go back to work now, its almost four." And of course he was right. Hadn't Tony told her to take the day off? At the same time as he'd been trying to persuade Pepper to take the day off but still the offer had been there.

"Only because I need to use the bathroom." she said giving in.

"Stay for dinner? I think I owe you that much." Darcy just nodded and paid the driver a generous tip. Already she was planning being seen leaving the Blake brownstone, and really as annoyed as she was she now felt somehow justified using Loren for her own ends. Darcy had never planned on telling Loren she was going to tip the paparazzi off to help out her employers, so what did it matter? It made her feel terrible, thats what. Taking a deep breath she clicked send on several emails with contacts she'd set up through the PR department with gossip rags, and hoped this mission would proceed better than its beginning. She even tweeted a random Tony quote and included her location. It felt awful to feel so exposed but she was quickly distracted by the brownstone. It was remodeled and restored to its original Queen Anne splendor, "The bathroom is just down the hallway beyond the staircase the first door. I'm just going to take a quick shower so make yourself comfortable wherever."

Darcy looked up at him finally taking off the sunglasses, taking note of the exits. When she came out of the bathroom the house seemed as still and as peaceful as any she'd been in. Settling herself in the living room she made a few calls and made sure someone was going to feed Jane. Loren bounded down the stairs fresh from the shower pinker than usual, hair wet, and without a shirt. He slipped on a thin white t-shirt, "Would you like something to drink?"

"Just some iced tea if you have it please."

He served them both iced teas and then rose and offered her a hand. "Come on I'll give you a tour before we go out for dinner." He sounded like a narrator to a PBS special about Queen Anne architecture all dignified and serene he even started outside before taking her up through the house and up into the second floor. "And this is my room." he pulled her in and closed the door. "Can you forgive me for making you miss work?" he said somewhat sincerely. Darcy studied his room and absently pulled off the scarf she was still wearing around her neck. The room was filled with books but on closer inspection the piles upon piles of books all seemed to have a certain theme. They were textbooks or science journals, a few popular science books like A Brief History of Time. Some seemed to be about mathematics or thermodynamics but the majority were about genetics and biology, even a worn Gray's Anatomy and Buikstra and Ubelaker's Standards for Recording Human Remains.

"Ok you got me what's with the textbooks?"

"I like to learn, I do read some philosophy and rarely fiction but this is what I'm working on now." He gestured at the journals on biology. "I'm working on healing factors and the like in my lab so I have to keep up with my reading." Loren seemed like a little kid excited to finally be sharing his loves. He touched her hair when she smiled at his excitement and kissed her, the kiss took her by surprise and made her forget everything outside of his bedroom door.

Hours later after their he'd welcomed her home properly and Darcy wandered downstairs looking for Loren curious at why he was taking so long to get snacks. Voices were drifting up from the direction of the kitchen and she ventured padded softly. "You were in jail?! For flowers...?" Don was incredulous and exasperated, "I thought you were dead, mugged in an alley somewhere behind a morgue doing one of your insane experiments. Why didn't you at least call? Who bailed you out?"

"I told you I have a very kind benefactor, lender whatever she's upstairs don't wake her."

"And she doesn't happen to have the initials DL does she?" Don said. There was a pause. "Please tell me when you're going to be gone, I'd just like to know if you alive." voice resigned and tired, after a minute Don hobbled out of the kitchen the cane rapping on the hardwood floor. He was coming Darcy's way and she tried hiding in the living room. When he'd made his long and slow progress up the stairs she went into the kitchen.

Loren was waiting for her sitting on a barstool, "how much did you hear?"

"Not much, just that he was worried for you, thought you might be dead."

Loren rolled his eyes and pushed the sandwich at her. "He seems to love you very much." Darcy said. "But you didn't want him to pick you up."

"I didn't want him to bail me out of yet another situation where I'm in the wrong and he's in the right."

"So you risked burning your bridges with me by calling me?" she asked and took a bite of the sandwich.

"Was... Would you have refused to keep dating me?" Loren looked genuinely perplexed.

"Some may have seen it as a red flag." Darcy said evenly.

"I admit I'm not very good at estimating what's seen as right or proper." he was smiling like it was something he still didn't understand. "I see something I want and I go after it."

"Oh? And what happens when you've got it? Do they end up a stinking mess like those flowers in the trash?" Darcy said trying to joke, be sarcastic and just ended up gesturing at the overflowing trash can.

"What? Who threw these away?" Loren opened the trash can and pulled out the ill-gotten bouquet and dumped them in the sink separating them and found a vase. "I admit going to the Botanical Gardens may have been a bit... extreme."

"You don't say." Darcy said bemused. A smell was starting to overpower the kitchen. "Ok what's that smell?"

"I think it might be the flowers."

"What did you pick?"

"I don't know! Some similax, several types of roses, this strange orchid thing, and this violet- hot pink calla lily looking thing," he was waving them around and the smell was getting worse. He grabbed the bunch and took them to the backyard and Darcy checked her cell looking for flowers that stink. When Loren returned her washed his hands and put a candle on the counter to deodorize the kitchen.

"You got me carrion flowers." Darcy said and tried not to laugh.

"What?" he took the cell from her and scrolled through the pictures. At least three different flowers two arums and a type of similax vine from his bouquet were referred to as carrion flowers. "I thought they were just decomposing because they'd been sitting on a shelf in jail."

Darcy laughed, because he looked so perplexed. And suddenly he perked up and started laughing. They laughed harder and he pulled her stool closer, settling himself standing between her knees. "You're even lovelier when you laugh."

That made her breath hitch and she stared at him, for all that they'd just spent the last six hours in his bedroom she felt nervous under his hungry eyes.

In the morning when she was dressing she emailed her contacts again and made sure to give herself a last once over. She'd washed off her makeup, but her cheeks were pink and flushed, her hair was wild and wavy she hadn't risked a shower because she was afraid of being even later to work. "You're perfect." Loren said, he'd slipped into the bathroom with her. Darcy rolled her eyes at him but smiled. "Come over tonight we'll have a better dinner than sandwiches, oh come down to the kitchen first I'll fix you some toast for the ride back."

Darcy called for the car service and checked the time, 6am, an hour for travel, should be early enough to sneak into the Tower, change and rush to the lab, even if she hit traffic. "I don't usually do sleepovers before the third date."

"So we'll call yesterday a third date?" Loren said as he handed her toast, "There was flowers, food and you stayed for coffee," he handed her coffee in a traveling mug.

There was the possibility of another date later that night and the car came before there could be any awkwardness. Donning her sunglasses on the sidewalk Darcy slipped into the black car and had it drop her off in front of the Tower where anyone in the cafe was sure to see her. It would take much more than shots of her coming from a strange house at this point but for the moment she needed to get to the labs to start the day. "Good morning Lily."

"Miss Lewis," the beautiful receptionist gave Darcy a big smile but her eyes took in the outfit and her eyes grew. If nothing else now Lily the receptionist knew she was in the same outfit as yesterday.

* * *

I keep adding to the story and the series. But I should be making the updates more regular now.

Also a note about the names for Thor and Loki. In the comics Thor was first the mortal Donald Blake, but later on he shares the body of Jake Olsen. Loki eager to frame his brother sets about looking identical to Jake and ends up getting arrested as "Loren" Jake's brother. For the purposes of this story I'm pronouncing Loren in my head as Lorne (as in Thorn).

Comments, faves and follows are 3!


	6. Tis the white stag we're a-hunting

Chapter title comes from Ezra Pound, "'Tis the white stag, Fame, we're a-hunting, bid the world's hounds come to horn!" See the bottom for more on Johnny Storm.

* * *

"Dinner tonight, meet you in Brooklyn?" the invitation clear for another sleepover clear. The day was uneventful just filled with lots of busy work, reports, territorial disputes, requests to fire Pym (none of the lab assistants wanted to work with him anymore, something about his unusual habits appearing and disappearing at odd times, the complaints weren't clear). The usual stuff. In the evening Darcy and Loren ate out at a little cafe that was cozy but still trendy. A few pictures ended up in tabloids but buried deep inside, something like, Is Tony's young paramour assistant cheating on him? And thus not what Darcy had been going for; still it didn't matter to Darcy because she was too busy spending the night at the Blakes and rushing through the rest of the next day. The morning was the hardest, trying to untangle herself from Loren's long limbs and making herself leave his bed. He didn't help, rather kept trying to pull her back in for smiling kisses in the early morning light.

Friday morning Natasha just so happened to "run into" Darcy in the elevator bank coming back from Brooklyn as she went upstairs to change for the day.

"Where were you?" the way Nat says it so casually is not deceiving, because it still seems like not answering would be dangerous to your health.

"Good morning, I just changed my mind about-"

"Bold choice wearing the same outfit twice in a week. That is last nights outfit right?" not a question Darcy wants to respond to with a lie, say Nat's eyes.

Darcy knew this sort of question was coming, and after years of not living with her grandmother she still felt her cheeks burning because she was technically at her place of work not just her home. Also when one is being grilled by the Black Widow one does not remain calm. Unless one is Fury. "Go start your day, I put Jane to bed for you last night. I'll expect you for lunch in your apartment not Jane's, don't be late."

"If you're trying to be a distraction for the public pulling away attention from Stark Industries, the lawsuit and Pepper in particular you need to be more proactive." Natasha handed her a box of chinese take out and a folder. "This is a list of trendy nightspots that are still open in Manhattan and another list for LA. Go out every night, take stimulants if you have to keep awake but don't miss a day of work. Make sure to keep your outfits in different styles. Hoodies are fine for working with Tony but don't get photographed in the same outfits in the evening, similar outfits with Tony is fine. The paparazzi just end up throwing those shots away and your careful scheduling will be thrown off. Make a schedule of outings, if he," she meant Loren, "can't make it doesn't matter take me, one of Pepper's entourage or Johnny Storm. He's recovering from that divorce so you don't have to worry about him making a move, just explain the situation. Taking Jane out should be a last resort. Do not make the mistake of going out alone, I know you can handle yourself but the point is to get the media gossiping about you and to leave the company alone, make Stark Industries look comfortable and you'll just look like easy prey by yourself. Any questions?"

"How did you know? About the diversionary tactic?" Darcy said while trying to suck down water, the food was too spicy.

"You just confirmed it and it seemed like a good plan, it seemed to fit the facts. Why else would you allow yourself be spending the night before the third date without it being something important?" Natasha took a bite of her food, there was no judgement there but a bit of teasing which made Darcy do a double take. Then Natasha pulled out another envelope. "This is tied to your Stark phone, it'll monitor your vitals and if you're in distress and can't call it'll let us know you need help. Stop using anonymous car services. Take one of Stark's cars but always use the same one, they need to associate you with Stark." Nat pulled out a ring from the envelope, it was a bit on the gaudy side an oversized sapphire sitting on a modern design but on the inside it blinked up at Darcy. She guessed the stone looked bigger than it was because the square cut was shallow to fit in all the circuitry.

Darcy felt the urge to hug Natasha. It was nice having a handler for missions again. "Do not let the rest of the Avengers team know what you're up to. I'll tell SHIELD only what they need to know and arrange for random tailing, we can't always watch over you but you have my word that we'll always come. Any questions?"

"Can I hug you?" Darcy really couldn't shake the urge to hug the deadly redhead. Nat's eyes softened and her mouth curled into a small smile.

"You can hug me when you've accomplished your mission." Darcy nodded, and Nat continued. "So dish, what's he like?"

Darcy just associated a bunch of words, tall, slender, mysterious, brilliant, generally not good with knowing what was proper. She could feel herself blush, "and incredibly talented in bed."

Natasha raised an eyebrow, and let the comment sit there, "Good. Now its time to go tend to your scientists. We'll continue this later." That evening Pepper was supposed to be interviewed on Piers Morgan, and Darcy had to go with her to the studio while Tony and the team were called away for some suspicious activity in New Jersey (Its not like anyone even bothered to let her know about mission specs anymore, so lame) and Darcy just couldn't resist providing extra backup. Minus Steve who apparently was in Eastern Europe on top secret stuff, which is why they shouldn't have told Tony because he wouldn't shut up about it to Darcy (he doesn't mind gossiping). In general he would tell Darcy and Pepper everything unless he could get something out of keeping it secret.

As Darcy waited behind the main cameras she was getting excited for Pepper. The novelty of watching someone be interviewed while in the studio would take some time to get used to, also Pepper had gone with a beautiful white suit that Darcy had suggested. "Tonight we're talking to Virginia 'Pepper' Potts, about the direction of the company and how they've spearheaded efforts to restore New York. Pepper what are your thoughts about the lawsuits?"

"Well Piers it's unfounded, we've already filed an injunction and counter-sued but I can assure you its a shameless attempt to capitalize on our humanitarian focus in New York and abroad..." Darcy watched her boss in action and wondered at how someone could be so adept at grace, sweetness and simultaneously be a cutthroat business woman. She was perfect, now to keep her safe.

When Darcy called Loren to explain why she couldn't come over he said he understood but he sounded distracted. And all he really said was, "Wear something comfortable enough to do yard work in tomorrow."

That... was odd.

The next morning after spending the morning attending to the team's various scrapes, bruises and putting on new bandages she was dismissed by Tony in time to go over to the Blakes for lunch. So Darcy pulled out dark jeans and a tank top with one of Jane's cuter flannel shirts and packed a bag with a change of clothes. Whatever, she thought, it's a beautiful Saturday and at least we won't be hiking. At least she hoped it wasn't hiking because she hadn't hiked in anything but combat boots and she didn't have them anymore.

Darcy arrived at the Blakes brownstone and was greeted by the receptionist to Don's practice, she had long blonde hair she was tying up in a braid with a thin blue scarf threaded through it. "Darcy, I'm Mary we've met before." Darcy thought absently how beautiful she was but her age was indeterminate, Mary looked young enough to be Darcy's age (no lines) but she was elegant and her crystal-like eyes had hints of ocean blue in their depths. Also she worked for plastic surgeons so... There was a tinkling on her wrist a wrapped up necklace with charms on them. Darcy wondered why she didn't remember meeting her before. The lunchtime group consisted of Don's entire practice of doctors and nurses plus a few kids. In all they numbered almost two dozen. They looked decidedly sweaty and were "dressed for work" like Darcy was.

Lunch was simple fettuccine with pesto chicken tossed in. A salad and some drinks later the group headed out bidding farewell to the Blakes and Darcy. Apparently they'd all gone over to the neighborhood garden starting early in the morning and were heading home or back to the garden for the day. Don and Loren were going to do volunteer work in a local shelter now. Darcy couldn't help but be impressed. She hadn't thought Loren was the type to do so much volunteer work.

Once they reached the shelter Darcy pitched in helping out in the kitchen making the dinner even using some fresh ingredients from the morning's harvest in the garden. Loren and Don were busy giving quick checkups (ordering chest x-rays and follow up appointments was easier to do and get them to follow through on if they knew the doctor) Loren was acting the part of nurse and taking down notes. It was tedious work and he had terrible bedside manners so when it was over he was irritable and quiet.

"Why do you do it?" Darcy asked as they walked back alone. Loren's usually pale complexion was sunburnt and he was peeling around the edges. Don had treated himself to a taxi because his leg hurt.

"Truthfully, I would much rather donate money and go back to my lab. Don signed us up and threatened to throw me out of the lab if I didn't help out." Darcy looked up at him shocked but kept her game face on. "I figured it was easier showing you how terrible I can be than telling you."

Darcy said nothing and they let the silence stretch out before them. They were back at the neighborhood garden the evening sun had long ago dipped below the buildings and in the blue evening light looked sad but defiant. She just kept helping pack up the tools and lock the various gates and chains.

As they walked back to the Blake brownstone the streetlights throwing feeble orangey pools of light, Darcy didn't really care that Loren didn't like volunteering, today had been a good day. If she'd been hauled out to do some garden work in Brooklyn she was going to remain stubbornly upbeat about the day. She was happily surprised to finally meet the mother Ramona and the kids that were living in the Blake's brownstone in the two upper floors (because she wasn't coming in late or leaving before 7am and going straight to Loren's room). Ramona came home just as dinner was served and apologized for her children.

"Also Don insisted we take in refugees from Manhattan." Loren had said as they walked up the steps to the brownstone. Darcy had still said nothing. She studied him as he fixed dinner with Don. Don hadn't heard Loren's confessions and he had insisted with Darcy stay for dinner. They were making enough food for some of their guests from the neighborhood garden and the kids of the family Miguel, Carmelita and Angela were running around noisily. Their mother Ramona had been a student at Columbia, a doctoral candidate, after the attack on Manhattan her student housing had been partially destroyed and she couldn't afford alternate housing as a recently widowed single mother.

"Don and Loren have been our saviors really. If it wasn't for them I'd have to quit working on my research and I'd never get my PhD. Not to mention all the free childcare on the weekends!" Ramona was in her early thirties She had brown almost black curly hair, with hazel eyes and dark skin, the kids were like miniatures of her. Her husband had been killed in the invasion, a policeman who'd been killed in the crossfire when the Chitauri had attacked. "Did Loren tell you his brother is forcing him to do all this volunteer work?" she asked quietly after the guests had left. Darcy nodded.

"Don't listen to him. Don didn't mean to make it sound like an ultimatum its just Loren spends too much time alone in the lab, with his theories, research and then conducting experiments without any assistance. I don't think Don knows most of what he does down there. Loren may not like getting compliments I think." Ramona looked over at her kids as they ran into the kitchen to "help" do the dishes. "I don't know but he's great at entertaining the kids with magic tricks and chemical reactions. Even if he's a little prickly and hard to get along with I think you should give him a chance."

"Why do you think he told me?"

"He's got this strange rivalry with Don. Apparently Don inherited the practice, the brownstone and apartment in Manhattan, then it got destroyed and Loren got nothing but money from their father's will. Probably thinks its of lesser value than Don's inheritance. Don is getting lots of attention for his volunteering and the pro-bono work alone will reach a million if Mary is right. 'Good deeds' as Loren calls them, and it makes Loren feel inadequate. Maybe he feels he lives in his brother's shadow." Ramona grew quiet as the men finished the dishes and came back to the table with dessert. Darcy thanked Ramona and said goodnight as she went upstairs with her three kids. "She said something didn't she?" Loren guessed as Don excused himself with a hearty laugh, a "good night kids," and a wink. He was not the most subtle person alive.

Darcy nodded took a bite of her watermelon. "Why does it matter to you that I know why you do your volunteer work?"

"I don't want you to get the wrong idea about me." he said simply.

"Then how about we just keep hanging out? No more dramatic confessions. And really now if you knew what my life was like..." you'd know I've killed people before. Your little forced volunteerism is laughable. I'll never be punished for my little killing spree (justified or not, I never even got a reprimand) and here you are fretting over not wanting to do volunteer work. It made Darcy's heart hurt to think about her stuff, and it had been a wonderful day, like a balm she hadn't known she needed. And she could tell that as much as Loren disliked his brother's long shadow that he didn't hate the work, that in fact he simply wanted to do his own things. So she forced herself to keep eating her watermelon as she mused. "Anyways on our next date maybe I'll tell you something scandalous."

He looked up at her a faint glimmer of hope. "Another date huh?"

"That is if you're not busy." she said feigning nonchalance, Loren kissed the inside of her palm.

"My schedule is completely open." she said her heart speeding up.

"I haven't even mentioned a day." the arm around her shoulder had slipped down to her waist. He smiled, "How's tomorrow evening sound?"

Darcy hesitated for effect, "I'll have to check with my schedule, Sundays tend to be quiet though."

"You could spend the night," he kissed her neck and pulled her close. "Tell me something scandalous tonight."

But Darcy couldn't. She had Sunday brunch with everyone at the Tower. Still he was here now, all warm skin and greedy ands and lips. They spent a good two hours working up to a fever pitch.

"You should go." Loren panted, pulling back from Darcy's mouth. Darcy was breathing hard, "I want to keep you for the rest of the night, but if you don't leave me now I won't let you go."

Darcy closed her eyes and allowed herself to be pulled up from the couch. It was midnight already and she was exhausted.

As she drove back into Manhattan she wondered how much brighter and more active it would have been before the Invasion. Midtown was nearly all blacked out still, the few businesses that struggled to remain open during the week couldn't afford to do so on the weekend when most of the nightlife was packed around Central Park, and it seemed for the most part quieter even than Brooklyn. Stark Tower stood a silent sentry over the darkened Midtown, gleaming the moon back at herself, the remaining A bright and hopeful. There was at least one advantage to leaving Brooklyn at midnight versus earlier in the evening, it took about half the time to get back.

Sunday brunch was lazy and quiet, with Steve and now Natasha gone it seemed quiet. For the most part Jane hadn't even noticed Darcy's constant sleepovers at Don's. The twins and Clint handled the cooking and Tony did the cocktails forcing everyone to try his chlorophyll mixes in addition to his alcoholic drinks. "Why exactly do we have to have chlorophyll?" Wanda asked pointedly.

"Just trying to be healthy," responded Tony as he ate a plate full of soy chorizo and eggs, (Darcy being native Californian and Tony spending a good chunk of his jetsetting life there couldn't quite kick the Mexican food habit).

"I just cannot wake up properly this morning," Jane said, she kept rubbing at her eyes, "I even managed to sleep a full eight hours!"

Clint looked at the package of coffee he'd used, "uh I'm sorry guys I refilled the coffee maker," the space age machine in question was looking innocent on the counter, "with Bruce's decaf." Everyone glared at their coffee, and most went back for full strength coffee. There was little discussion about anything more important than the food and just catching up with each other. Clint made a show of bugging Darcy about her new love interest and the others laughed and teased her about catching him in the Tower and grilling him mercilessly. Note to self don't bring Loren back here.

"Clint how far can you shoot?" Tony asked.

"Sniper rifle or arrows?"

"Not funny!" Darcy exclaimed.

"That's true I could always just send Pietro after your beau," Wanda suggested and nudged her brother. "Much faster, and less blood."

Clint howled with laughter.

But it was deliciously normal to be home with her big Avengers family even if two of their number were missing.

After brunch Darcy got ready for some more work at the neighborhood garden and dashed out. Loren and Don were spending the day in the garden and Darcy had brought a wide-brimmed hat to cover her face. At some point in the humid heat a dirt fight broke out between the kids and the adults continued it. And then just as easy as a bird taking flight Darcy felt the shift, Loren was laughing his face smudged bits of green in his hair, and he pulled her down into the grass, kissing her pushing the hat back. They were happy, what's more they weren't hiding their happiness. Maybe it was fleeting, maybe she'd carried a torch too long for a guy who wasn't holding her now.

But Loren was here and under her and Darcy was happy now. Loren kissed her and rolled over her. "What are you thinking?"

"You look good with some dirt on your face!" and she grabbed more dirt to smudge on his face so he sprayed her with a hose. The water fight had everyone laughing for the rest of the afternoon.

That evening when Miguel was sent upstairs to do his homework after dinner, Carmelita and Angela giggled and asked Don and their mom if Darcy and 'Oren (Carmelita's nickname for Loren was adorable) were in love.

Darcy almost choked on her food and Loren handed her some water, "I really, really like Darcy, what do you say Darcy, be my girlfriend?"

"Sure 'Oren," Loren smiled and held Darcy's hand, "but its ok girls you've still got Don."

The girls hugged Darcy, Angela sighed, "que linda" and little Carmelita said, "es bella," and ran to Don's side.

Ramona smiled, "they think you're pretty and beautiful Darcy."

Loren pulled Darcy onto his lap. "She is." and wrapped his arms around Darcy's waist. Don watched the two blue eyes twinkling as the little girls climbed over him. What unexpected joy was this and why had it come so easily? a part of her wondered.

After the kids were put to bed and Don had retired, his limp noticeably worse and he leaning heavily on his cane, Loren and Darcy had the living room to themselves. They sat on the couch to watch some Sunday night shows, he was a particular fan of Game of Thrones which he'd started a few weeks ago but Darcy really liked the cheesiness of True Blood which was on now.

"What is the point of the blonde bimbo?"

"She's a psychic! With fairy blood and hot boyfriends, its really not that cerebral. And she's sassy."

"Well if it keeps you on my couch then I'm all for it." He seemed to really like Eric and Pam. And Russell Edgington. Darcy scrunched up her face at him, "No Russell is evil. You haven't seen the last seasons."

"But he's funny! And he's just so..."

"Evil!"

Loren's arm was around her shoulder and Darcy suddenly envisioned them making a habit out of this. Sunday nights watching tv bickering and comfortable.

Driving back to the Tower the next morning Darcy kept seeing Lore's face as he looked up at her when she straddled his lap mouth open panting eyes glassy with lust taunting her. Seeing him bed watching her sleep. Thinking of the long kiss on the steps in the weak morning light.

At the time she didn't know it. Didn't know that just down the street from the Tower a photograph was being uploaded of her leaving the car with a doorman. Didn't know that Monday morning there would be a small article written up about her time in Brooklyn. It was mostly online and therefore didn't account for much but it spurred her on to capitalize on it Monday evening. Still it wasn't enough and she began to resent this ridiculous mission of making herself the subject of Stark Industries. But then Nat called and sent her message. "Great job with the volunteer work, now remember the file. Keep busy. ~N."

So she called Loren to make sure he would be up for hitting some bars after dinner. "Um sure but don't you want to just come over?" If it had been up to Darcy she would have appreciated just going to his place for a quiet dinner and spending the night.

They went out to trendy bars and Loren never complained. He was handsome enough that he could turn heads on his own but Darcy (no doubt terribly influenced by the Stark Industries PR department) wanted to cut his curly mane and make him look more trendy or polished. She hated herself for thinking that way but soon she got Loren agreeing to dinner and bars for three nights in a row.

"I give up Darcy, you seem to have endless supplies of energy, but I'm working in the lab. I got a late start might not even be home tonight." He sounded exhausted and rushed. And it was true Darcy may have started taking stimulants that morning.

"No worries you work I'll just go out with a friend." Darcy looked at the time. It was already four o'clock and she had no plans besides hitting up a club. But since Natasha wasn't in and Jane could only promise tearing herself away from work for dinner Darcy couldn't line up any late evening activities. So she looked at the number in her cell, the one labeled, "last resort" and dialed.

"Hi Johnny I'm Darcy Lewis Tony Stark's Assistant."

"Darcy, yeah Natalie mentioned you might be calling. Glad to hear from you." His tone sounded very suggestive, he said her name like a pick up line. And Darcy was not looking forward to seeing the maybe descendant of a certain Captain tonight.

Still Nat had said to call him obviously she trusted him at least a little. So Darcy got dressed and she got Jane dressed and they ate a leisurely dinner which... Johnny showed up for. Amidst a storm of camera flashes he entered and charmed the hostess into seating him with his "girls" he swaggered over and sat down to dine with the two women. Jane was too sleepy to really bother conversing she took advantage of the Darcy's distraction to check her data on her cellphone.

"This is a surprise." Darcy said smiling at him and whispering in his ear.

"I do like to make an entrance." he said winking at her. Then watching Jane completely ignore him he asked, "Does your friend Jane here know Reed? They'd get along. And by get along I mean they'd totally nerd out."

"Reed Richards?" Jane looks up. She squints at Johnny, "you're the Johnny Storm?"

"In the flesh." he grins and takes her hand to kiss it. Jane shakes him off.

"Yeah whatever, I need to talk to Reed!" And she says it with such force and seriousness that Johnny promises to set up an appointment with him. "No you don't understand I REALLY need to talk to him like soon. Ask him if he can come to Stark Tower."

"Jane! We're at dinner! We're eating, you shouldn't even be working, and um hello... Reed's probably busy!" Jane just glares at Darcy and Darcy softens her tone. Johnny excuses himself and gets up to got to the restroom.

"I'm sorry for yelling at you like that. Jane..."

"No you're right its my fault I haven't filed a report in like a month or something and you have no idea how vital my research is right now. If I can just get Tony and SHIELD to approve some tests..." Jane catches herself her voice is carrying and people are staring. "I'm... a little obsessed aren't I?"

"That's ok Jane. I love ya for it. We'll get Reed to come over. You have my word. Now eat up and promise me you'll try to leave the lab long enough to get to bed tonight." Darcy smiles at her best friend and plies her with red wine. Five glasses later Darcy and Johnny are supporting the tiny scientist between them and getting her into Darcy's (Tony's really) car. They take her inside and Johnny follows.

"So if I'd known I'd be back at your place before ten-" he starts. And Jane just glares at him.

"Get me that meeting with Reed. Darcy's dating someone, so you treat her right. Now I'm going to puke if someone doesn't give me some water soon!"

Darcy would have laughed but it probably isn't not that funny. After Jane is tucked in and Johnny has spent enough time in the huge main living room Darcy emerges with a fresh coat of lipstick.

"I didn't know you lived with Tony..." he says pointing at the retreating form of one Tony Stark from the elevator to his apartments. "I mean I guess it makes sense Manhattan is nearly-"

"Oh yeah he's my boss and landlord nope not weird at all. For someone who still lives with his sister."

"Touche."

"Come on."

"Wait a minute, hold on," And just like that the cocky facade is gone and he seems to sink back into the couch his shoulders dropping. "You've got a boyfriend?"

"Yeah he's a recent acquisition." Darcy sighs and drops her game face heads to the bar and mixes herself a martini. "Want anything to drink?"

"Long Island please."

"So... the thing is I need to distract the media from stuff."

"Pepper."

Darcy doesn't let her surprise show but her pause as she's serving the drinks is enough of a tell.

"Look you didn't tip me off of course, its just, you know I was married, I've got a nephew now, a niece on the way. Sue can take care of herself. But you've got... hell you've got more than a few civilians in this glass tower."

Darcy nods and hands him his drink. "So you're the sacrificial lamb huh?" he looks her up and down.

"Not so innocent."

"Right, look no offense but everyone says that until... Something happens." and there's this terrible moment of awkwardness from the quiet that follows. So Darcy pours herself a second martini. And she knows from the news and the slim file she'd been allowed to read that his "wife" isn't the only one who he's talking about. So she doesn't correct him or try to prove she knows loss.

"Did we just become best friends?" she says with wide eyes.

He grins, "Yup."

"Do you wanna do karate in the garage?"

"Wait, is that code for sex or do you actually know karate?"

"You ruined it." and she rolls her eyes and walks to the elevator after downing her second martini.

"But seriously you didn't answer my question." he says as he catches up to her.

"I know some mixed martial arts so we could spar but I'd rather get this fake date on the road."

"Is it fake because we're not kissing or because you already have a boyfriend?"

"Both."

"Fair enough." he nods. And really Johnny isn't as bad as she'd expected.

When they open the glass doors of Stark Tower she fixes a smile and sticks close to him, sure enough there are some a few adventurous paparazzi that are taking pictures and asking questions. As they emerge at the club Johnny turns on the charm and they make it through the next three hours fending off girls (and guys) that are getting too close to other. Skillfully so no one has hurt feelings. They dance for the most of that time and try as she might Darcy can't fault Johnny for looking like the Cap. They're nothing alike. Down to the way they smile, Steve with that closed mouth pout, Johnny with a mischievous grin that women and men fall for. No Darcy is thinking of Loren and hoping against hope he doesn't check gossip sites. A little before 2am Darcy is dropping off Johnny at the Baxter building. "You should come up." Johnny says.

"I've got an early morning, well if you consider that I have to be up in less than five hours."

"Maybe you should crash here." he leans close, "We've got a tail, well several." Darcy thinks about it and notices the blinking message on her cell, her heart is heavy with guilt.

"I can't."

Johnny kisses her cheek. "Anytime ok?" Darcy nods and drives off into the night eager for bed now that the stimulants and caffeine have completely worn off.

In the morning when she hears Jane shuffling around the apartment and Jarvis presents her with the daily news concerning Stark Industries part of her is relieved to find her name everywhere connected to the "return" of Johnny Storm to the nightclub scene. The pictures look great, even the few they have with Jane. Darcy looks at herself in the pictures, she's no longer in the background or grainy and out of focus she remembers the flashes but that had happened before walking behind Tony and Pepper. Now its her face and Johnny's that are linked and no one is cropping her out. She doesn't know how to feel at first. Will it work? Is this all pointless?

But she does tell herself that Loren is the one who should be next to her in these pictures.

That evening as Darcy is getting dinner at yet another trendy restaurant with Jane (really it can't be that hard to be trendy nowadays when half of Manhattan has fled she thinks grumpily) she gets a call from Loren. "Mary showed me the pictures. Do we need to talk?"

"No, everything is fine he's just a friend, but can I come over tonight?"

"Of course. Meet me in my lab."

"Ok :)"

Darcy puts Jane in a cab amidst some camera flashes and emerges at the building where Don has his practice. She doesn't even care what they (any photographer) might think. Mary the receptionist, looking stunning in a long blue natural silk dress, wearing her cornsilk hair long and over her right shoulder lets her in and directs her to the stairs. "Sorry I showed Loren the pictures, I just don't want him to get hurt."

Darcy felt some regret at being reminded of the pictures and the charade she was perpetuating, but she sensed no sarcasm from Mary the beautiful receptionist. "We're like a little family the boys, Ramona and her kids, they've let me in."

"I understand." Darcy says, and she means it. Mary smiles and opens the door to the lab.

"Don't forget to lock up Loren." she calls out.

"Of course not Mary." Loren is in sneakers and jeans, and a thin black t-shirt, tiny bleach drops plainly evident. Why isn't he dressed for dinner? Darcy walks into a decontamination antechamber where Loren leads her. "Have you done one of these before?"

"Does seeing them in movies count?"

"No." Loren says and smiling swoops in for a kiss. She doesn't bother to tell him she's been in "clean rooms" and their decontamination units well over twenty times with SHIELD alone. And that Tony's version has a higher safety rating than the CDC's and she hates going into it because it involves a bleach rinse before and after.

"Slip these sneakers on, and step in like so. I'll zip you up."

Darcy follows his instructions and once they're both wrapped up in the blue suits the suits get the bleach bath.

"Don't worry about breathing we've got plenty of oxygen." He says reassuring her and leads the way into the lab proper.

Its dark, lights flickering on as he hits a few commands on a pad. One by one the different areas of the lab light up. Half the machines Darcy recognizes. Centrifuge, cold storage, and several fish tank looking glass rectangles light up. But the room is small no bigger than 20 by 20 it seems doubly cramped by the counters and the plastic suit she wears. He directs her gently to a pinkish solution in one of the fish tank looking things. "This, Darcy Lewis, is your new skin." the light comes on and stretched in the nearest fish tank looking thing in pinkish solution is a piece of skin no less than two inches across. "I've grown it especially for you from your own cells."

* * *

Note about Johnny Storm (aka the Human Torch): In the comics Johnny ended up marrying Alicia Masters (she was actually Lyja though so... its complicated). Anyways Alicia Masters was played by Kerry Washington in both Fantastic Four movies.


End file.
